| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Harry Hope" |
| Date: |
23 Jan 2005 08:19:12 PM |
| Object: |
$tar War$ toys YES -- Troops protective armor NO |
http://www.jimhightower.com/air/read.asp?id=11582
STAR WARS MISSILE MISFIRES...AGAIN
By Jim Hightower.
1/20/2005
Gosh, it's sad that the Bushites have not been able to provide
protective armor for all of our troops in Iraq -- resulting in untold
numbers of needless deaths and maimings -- but... well, the Pentagon
has other priorities.
Such as playing with its Star Wars toys.
There recently was another test of this boondoggle.
The scheme is that the military industry can build a whiz-bang
technological wonder that will allow a U.S. missile to be fired at an
incoming enemy missile and shoot it out of the air.
So far, the Pentagon has shoveled $80 billion into this
smoke-and-mirrors stunt, with another $50 billion to be thrown at it
in the next five years.
I say "smoke-and-mirrors," because it doesn't work -- and nearly all
independent experts say it won't ever work, and isn't even needed.
Indeed, the Pentagon even rigged its previous tests -- including
putting beacons on the target missile so their Star Wars missile can
find it easily -- yet, it still doesn't hit the target.
The latest test was especially embarrassing.
Instead of merely missing the target this one couldn't even get off
the ground.
Pentagon chief Donnie Rumsfeld, however, is undeterred, saying that
critics who claim that his pet project doesn't work are misguided,
because "what the definition of 'work' is, is terribly important."
OK, Donnie, try this small dose of reality:
The system is so flawed that it cannot be fired if the weather is bad!
Excuse my skepticism, but it's at least possible that an enemy might
not wait for a perfectly clear, calm day to take a shot at us.
The main thing that the Bushites' highly touted missile defense system
can be counted on is to hit the federal budget.
But they don't care, for its all being deficit financed, paid in IOUs
that our grandchildren will have to pay -- long after the Bushites are
gone and their Star Wars scam has been assigned to the scrap heap of
ridiculous waste.
Is there no other need in America that we could spend this money on?
___________________________________________________________
Mornin' coffee with Jim Hightower.
Harry
.
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