Pajamas Media

62 Comments

1. Avitar:

I appologize, just when we thought that Joe Courtnet was paper trained he goes and does something like this.

Jun 17, 2009 - 10:15 am 2. Dutch:

Surely the present administration is not so stupid? If not stupid then what are they? Evil? Did we elect enemies of our country?? I put the blame for this insanity on an ignorant electorite who selected a light-weight community organizer.

Jun 17, 2009 - 10:20 am 3. AlexinCT:

Isn’t it obvious? The only way to get the people of the world to like you is to be a victim. The left believes strength and the ability to defend oneself, especially in the case of evil and always meddling America, would embolden it to adventurism. That’s bad. Not being able to protect yourself from a nuclear attack by someone like Kim, will prevent America from ever actually resorting to action.

Jun 17, 2009 - 10:34 am 4. ashok:

I like how you put it – “inexplicably.”

This makes no sense, esp. for a President and Congress that want to spend money. They’re responsible for national security: if anything happens b/c the correct defenses weren’t there, they’re going to get blamed. All they have to do is sign the check. I don’t even know that anti-war groups would get particularly angry if this money was spent.

Who exactly is being pandered to in cutting missile defense? Russia? North Korea? I mean, again, you want to be in as strong a position as possible as the Executive. I really do want to see an explanation of why these programs are unnecessary that isn’t anti-war or spending priorities drivel. I want to see memoranda which detail why this is unnecessary. Somehow I suspect I’m not going to be convinced.

Jun 17, 2009 - 10:46 am 5. trapper:

Democrats have always been opposed to defending ourselves. It provokes the enemy, they say. They say the same thing with individuals: we are to cooperate with the mugger and not make him angry by defending ourselves.
It is the philosophy of the victim. And I do not want to be a victim!

Jun 17, 2009 - 11:07 am 6. Anonymous:

$8B for ACORN, but $1.2B for missile defense is too much?

Jun 17, 2009 - 11:17 am 7. Federale:

Nothing inexplicable. The Demoncrats hate White, Christian, heterosexual America. And they are so stupid and suicidal that they think that the terrorists and dictatorships will only kill those White, Chrisitan, heterosexuals and not them. But the first cities to be hit will be pagan Honolulu, gay San Francisco, and Mexican Los Angeles. So for for it Kim Jong-ill motha frakka.

Jun 17, 2009 - 11:18 am 8. jd:

Kim fires one missile towards this country and Obama’s game is over.
It won’t matter to the survivors how many hearings Congress holds, who Obama tries to blame, what the media says……revenge will be the order of the day.

Jun 17, 2009 - 11:19 am 9. Professor Guvinoff:

So, Mr Obama, national defense is a mistake, and spending beyond our means on unnecessary items is wise?

Jun 17, 2009 - 11:23 am 10. adrian:

What the hell are we doing? We are going to be sitting ducks with these treasonous democrats in power.I hope that people will wake up and see what the dems(socialists)are doing…

Jun 17, 2009 - 11:27 am 11. Meryl:

from the article, “This is a moment to significantly bolster the program to protect America and send a message to the thugs in Pyongyang that we are doing more than merely passing ineffectual resolutions at the UN.”

Ah. But there’s the problem. “We” are not doing more.

Every day there are new events similar to this one which, when accurately described, sound like hyperbole. It’s almost impossible to exaggerate the danger this administration poses to this nation, isn’t it?

Jun 17, 2009 - 11:31 am 12. The Wizard:

The naive, clueless Obama continues to open the borders and doors of America to terrorist and our enemies. When will America wake up, this man hates everything we stand for and our Constitution. What is really scary, he truly has to experience, wisdom or knowledge to lead this country. Instead, he chooses to continue to campaign and make empty promises.

Where is the voice of reason and patriotism? Has our world gone totally mad and in the tank for this lying, hubris fraud?

Jun 17, 2009 - 11:31 am 13. Vaughn:

if we are attacked, I hope they don’t take out Michelle’s garden. Cotton prices will skyrocket!

Jun 17, 2009 - 11:41 am 14. Dave Surls:

“Democrats have always been opposed to defending ourselves.”

Looks that way. The Dems were happy to have the ABM treaty. Loved the idea of Mutually Assured Destruction, violently opposed SDI, and had a freaking cow when Bush announced we would no longer be bound by the ABM treaty.

I think they like the idea of a defenseless and helpless American populace.

They see us as totally expendable.

I suspect that Dem politicians have some nice deep bomb shelters for themselves though…just in case.

Jun 17, 2009 - 11:44 am 15. John Work:

Sources are “stunned” and “slack jawed”?!! Why should anyone with an IQ over 80 be surprised at these cuts? These cuts are what the Dems have been wanting for years. This is what the majority voted for – hope and change. They “won”; ever heard of a Phyrric victory? They haven’t paid the price yet – but soon.

Jun 17, 2009 - 12:02 pm 16. J. Rockford:

It is almost as if the Democrats — B. Hussein and the Democrat-controlled Congress — are deliberately trying to destroy this country, both in national defense and the economy. It’s like a bad dream. Only it’s all too real.

Jun 17, 2009 - 12:15 pm 17. mdgiles:

No surprise.

The lack of a missile defense will put us at the mercy of every two bit “revolutionary/freedom fighter” on the planet. With no effective defense the US will be forced to kowtow to any psycho/kleptocrat who can beg, borrow or steal a nuke and a missile. To the left loons, that will make the world “fairer”.

You know, I’d even contribute to the “Get a Nut a Nuke” Fund, if they would promise to first do San Fran, Hollywood and the island of Manhattan.

Jun 17, 2009 - 12:21 pm 18. Paul -Indiana:

Are you still glad that you voted for Obama?

Jun 17, 2009 - 12:37 pm 19. Sebastian Shaw:

The Democrats do not take offense seriously unless it is against Republicans. However, the Democrats remain oblivious our real enemies want to destroy the United States one way or another. This is why they take out the military with reduction in money. President Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, & now Barack Obama all follow the same feckless pattern…

Jun 17, 2009 - 12:40 pm 20. JED:

Cutting the defense budget to balance the budget is right out of the Clinton playbook. One of the first fiscal buckets of cold water on the economy was the massive military spending after 9/11. Restricting the CIA and the other intelligence agencies was also in that play book. A favorite Punch and Judy line is: If we disarm our arsenal, we will show the moral authority that will cause our enemies to disarm.” That would be the first time in the 3.5 million year human history that that works. Hope and change and hope some more!

Jun 17, 2009 - 1:15 pm 21. Leatherneck:

Let Poland pay for their own bloody defence. Secure the southern border with Mexico, and find out who is inside these United States.

We help secure the border between North, and South Korea, but keep allowing the third world poor into the US.

WTF Over?

Jun 17, 2009 - 1:22 pm 22. terlizzi999:

I sit here asking myself why is anyone alarmed at this….we all knew full well that everytime we have a dem president in office since the carter years….defense budgets get slashed, enemies get coined “friends” and deficits skyrocket…things will never change till we get hit on US soil again.

Jun 17, 2009 - 1:26 pm 23. Roderick Reilly:

Liberal Democrats have an atavistic fear and loathing of missile defense and the idea of defending American targets against missile attacks. The pattern started with the first SDIO efforts under Reagan, and Democrats have been imprinted ever since. The fact that limited theater systems now proposed are not the unworkable monstrosity that was the original “Star Wars” doesn’t seem to register with them.

Jun 17, 2009 - 1:41 pm 24. Rashputin:

It gives them a good excuse for handing over blackmail money. Someone might dare say, “no”, if we can stop incoming attacks. They’d be spending money on it in buckets if they thought it didn’t work.

Regards

Jun 17, 2009 - 1:45 pm 25. fred:

I knew this was coming months before the election. I tried to tell my brother in law who works for Raytheon’s part of the missile defense program that this was coming and he was in denial about it. Said that there were too many congressmen and senators from districts and states too heavily involved in it for the program to be de-funded. I told him that Obonga and Biden are dead set against missile defense, root and branch.

So, I am not at all surprised. Both men had said they were going to end the program and they aim to make good on their promise.

The Left is winning and they are going to keep on winning until the people get fed up with it. And the people are not going to be fed up with it unless and until it bites them in the ass HARD.

Jun 17, 2009 - 1:48 pm 26. fred:

By the time that all the damage is done and they are out the door in January of 2013, we are going to have some serious catching up to do. The nation’s very survival hangs in the balance. If we are not facing financial/economic meltdown over these four years, we are certainly facing a strategic defense problem that will make any past crisis seem like a walk in the park.

The United States of America is in the greatest danger it has faced since the Civil War. And it may take another civil war to get out of it.

Jun 17, 2009 - 2:05 pm 27. Steve:

Take the money away from Acorn and spend it all on missile defense. Vote out all democrats in the 2010 election and cal write and email all your representatives in Congress and the Senate.

Jun 17, 2009 - 2:15 pm 28. hangnail:

Wake up America, the shit storm doth approachith!

Jun 17, 2009 - 2:37 pm 29. X Contra:

I would rather see $1.2 billion spent making America and its allies safe than lining the pockets of ACORN.

Iran’s new missile, range: ≈1200-1800 miles (guesstimate)

Tabriz to Moscow: 1286 miles
Tabriz to Warsaw: 1561 miles
Tabriz to Aviano, Italy: 1803 miles
Tabriz to Athens: 1228 miles
Tabriz to Cairo: 1024 miles
Tabriz to New Delhi: 1893 miles

Do you feel safer yet?

Jun 17, 2009 - 2:50 pm 30. Oscar the Grump:

This has the same ring as the Jimmy Carter era, and Bill Clinton era. This is like swimming in a pool of Pirranas with your pants off,.

Jun 17, 2009 - 3:13 pm 31. AThinkingPerson:

Funny how we’re downgrading our nuclear system just when N. Korea is ramping theirs up. I guess funding ACORN and keeping the sorry liberals in Washington is more important than protecting the homeland. Go figure.

Anyone else feel like we’re in the Twilight Zone?

Jun 17, 2009 - 3:21 pm 32. Concerned:

Does Rosetta Stone offer courses in Chinese and Korean………might be good to buy now and avoid the rush before they take over……….

Jun 17, 2009 - 3:29 pm 33. iwantmycountryback:

Progressivism gone wild. In utopia there’s no need for missile defense. Dear Leader’s overwhelming charm will completely disarm our enemies and they’ll all sit down for tea and some hope and change.

Oh yeah- Korea’s nukes will be able to reach the continental US in three years, give or take a few months.

Jun 17, 2009 - 3:57 pm 34. wayne:

Look, if we can all just realize every time some government or other insurgent group (that was created by a community organizer that is rebelling against our legacy oppressions and thefts of their wealth) justifying threatens us or even more justifyingly kills some of our citizens this requires of us to get on our collective knees and learn apologize profusely and to hold our breaths while pleasing them orally.

There is no need for missile defense or even a military – just lots of knee pads and chapstick while the Chosen One soothes them into loving us as we pay them our life’s blood.

It the least we could do considering our crimes.

Jun 17, 2009 - 4:24 pm 35. C:

We have plenty enough weapons to round.

When there are people starving on your doorstep – it is not the time to be playing “star wars”

Jun 17, 2009 - 4:58 pm 36. chris in Toronto:

How much will his personal brown shirts squad be receiving in funding? You remember that civilian force as large and well funded as the military that he spoke of?

Jun 17, 2009 - 5:00 pm 37. MiamaMan:

Very expected, no surprises.

Obama will sell the Poles and the Czechs, to cuddle with Mevdevev and Putin, as he is trying to do with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Jun 17, 2009 - 6:16 pm 38. Tri Geek:

Where are all the liberals defending this??

Jun 17, 2009 - 6:35 pm 39. DaveinPhoenix:

I’m not worried TOO much. We or our allies PROBABLY won’t be attacked by a missile fired from Iran or N.K. It’s worth a gamble, right ? What do ya think, Prez ? Pelosi ? Reid ? It’s WORTH A GAMBLE, RIGHT ?

Jun 17, 2009 - 8:43 pm 40. kabud:

WHAT AUTHOT DEMANDS IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST.

some thought here:

http://pajamasmedia.com/michaelledeen/2009/06/17/so-now-whats-going-on-in-iran/#comment-29

http://pajamasmedia.com/michaelledeen/2009/06/17/so-now-whats-going-on-in-iran/#comment-56

http://pajamasmedia.com/michaelledeen/2009/06/17/so-now-whats-going-on-in-iran/#comment-57

God Bless America

Jun 17, 2009 - 9:12 pm 41. KZ:

This is such an old game. Every time Democrats have the power to do so they eviscerate our military capabilities. Then, when Republicans try to undue the damage they’re accused of warmongering and excessive military spending. It’s tiresome really, and entirely predictable. I fear that one day this political strategy will, sadly, cost this nation many, many more lives than were lost on 9-11.

Jun 17, 2009 - 9:50 pm 42. akdomun:

from my point of view spending so much on anti missile system is definitely a wast of billion of dollars.With whatever defence one can have it is practically impossible to scape an attack from an enemy.World trade centre is an example.The danger can be anywhere .
The best and easyway is to give back the
palestinian their rightful land. Tension will be over in this part of middle east.
North korea is no match to anybody certainly not to America.They need food and fuel to survive .Help them .Iran is no threat to America or to any arab countries.Russia and China have other priorities than to go to war with anybody So where is the problem.The world need peace and development War mongers should be kept at bay.THere are sufficient resources
for mankind

Jun 18, 2009 - 12:43 am 43. Roger Welcome:

The Wrong people are reading/responding to this article. The ones that voted D cannot understand this concept.

Jun 18, 2009 - 8:40 am 44. mbs1960:

It would be helpful if you named some names on who in congress is slicing this needed expendenture…Well?

Jun 18, 2009 - 8:53 am 45. NCBubba:

It’s been over 50 years since the end of WWII, yet we are still picking up the tab and providing welfare to defend Europe and every other dust bowl around the world. Isn’t it about time that that these countries DEFEND THEMSELVES. The last time I looked at the globe the “American Homeland” was well away from the nut jobs on the other side of the planet. It is no dam wonder that the EU can provide healthcare for all their people and remove the burden of that expense from their business communities, they don’t have to spend their money on defense. The rest of the world is NOT our homeland.

Jun 18, 2009 - 8:58 am 46. Anita Bonghit:

What do you expect from an socialist anti-American Chicago thug???? The Media praises Obama and the people fall over themselves to worship their new messiah. How is it that people did not know this was coming? He has preached this gospel for years.

Jun 18, 2009 - 9:32 am 47. Scared:

Why the surprise, Barack Osama promised our destruction, either economically or otherwise. Remember to face the east 5 times a day or you will neer need another hair cut. Joe Biden, the dumbest man in America, along with 53% of the voting public, and all of the 9 million ghost voters from ACORN. He sure reminds some of the gbeing they call the antichrist, oh never mind there is no devil. First Botomeyer breeaks an ankle, then hillary falls and breaks an arm, being friends with Osama is a curse.

Jun 18, 2009 - 9:35 am 48. Dennis:

Wow! First of all 36 to 44 interceptors are more than enough to intercept the extremely limited missiles that North Korea has; that is if they work right to begin with. Iran does not have any missiles that would hit U.S. soil, and while their idiot president has wet dreams of eliminating Israel, everyone definitely knows what the retaliation would be. If it’s being built to defend against Russia and China, then that is stupid. Any clown knows that they possess more than enough missiles and nuclear armed missiles to overwhelm any defense. Let the Europeans defend for themselves. WW2 is long over and Germany is united; why are we still in Europe? We really should be focused on the southern border with Mexico, left-wing and right wing radicals here in the states, and Afghanistan. Everyone should know by now that if North Korea starts some s–t, that would be the end of them. China isn’t going to back them, and the Russians sure as hell won’t even protest it. North Korea does not have enough missiles to overwhelm whatever number is deployed right now. And if they do, there are already missile destroyers stationed near the region that would shoot down any crap that they’ll try to launch. Partisan politics is what makes you think Obama slashed funding for this despite the undeniable truth that Secretary of Defense Gates proposed this. Let’s debate this when North Korea has 100 ICBMs that actually worked. So for you fools who would try to label me a bleeding liberal, get over yourself. I am far more in favour of defense than the next clown in the so-called neoconservative movement. I and my family have a long history of involvement in the military and defense department. You only go to war using the tools that you know would win the fight, not with some final fantasy cowboy crap. And lastly, building more interceptors would only provoke a new arms race with Russia and China, putting us further in debt than what we are and going to be in, and make the world a lot more dangerous than necessary. The only way to protect this country is ordering a new draft and invade North Korea. Many will die, but that in balance is more acceptable than to the tens of millions that those idiots would kill. A good defense is a superior offense.

Jun 18, 2009 - 10:09 am 49. Dennis:

And according to some of these comments that I see on this blog, some of you would be stupified if Reagan was still alive and was endorsing some of the policies of the president. Course you, cheney, hannity, beck, and limbaugh would call him a RINO. How is it that an american who have served his country in war is less than one who deferred his way out of Vietnam. Hell, even Bush was in the military. He may not have been in war or been in the service long enough, but that still counts. I don’t agree with everything that this administration is doing, geez who could, but I am willing to wait until he’s been in office for more than a year. The economy needs to be fixed, not with more taxcuts (especially with two wars going on), and definitely not with reckless spending on projects that doesn’t benefit anyone but party allies.

Jun 18, 2009 - 10:30 am 50. smarterthanobonga:

maybe he should do what clinton did and send north korea some more nuke technology.. That seems smart.

The only answer is revolution!

Jun 18, 2009 - 11:18 am 51. Joe Shipman:

“there is something seriously wrong — or rather something terribly unserious — with the priorities of the Congress and the administration”

You were right the first time.

Jun 18, 2009 - 11:21 am 52. Patrick J. Keegan:

German V2 rockets (WW2) carry a one ton payload over 300 miles. I remember seeing movies of one being launched from the deck of the Midway. The Iranian missiles are far more sophisticated than the V2. They also carry one ton warheads and travel 1,200 miles. Launched from a tramp steamer in mid-Atlantic they could reach Chicago. Ya, ya, I know. And it is also ridicules to think fanatics could commandeer aircraft and fly them into buildings in New York. (And now there is no reason for them not to try).

Jun 18, 2009 - 12:13 pm 53. Daniel Wargo:

This technology does not work. That’s why they cut it. It is very difficult to be accurate knocking down short range, and medium range missiles as it is. Ballistic technology cannot be downed even before it reaches its boost phase, and spending $ faking tests is over. Thanks 6/18/09 1:50 PM

Jun 18, 2009 - 1:53 pm 54. Demmy Morgan:

The Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as SDI and “star wars”, has received billions of dollars each year since Reagan’s time. Even the highly manipulated tests where we know the exact time of launch and the exact path the missile will follow, have had poor results. Finally some one has the courage to pull the plug on this money pit, a quarter century too late. Sure, someday such a system may be workable, SASERS for example, have some promise, but till then our best option remains using Carter’s stealth bombers to take the missiles out prior to launch.

Jun 18, 2009 - 2:10 pm 55. JesusHumper:

Ha Ha!! What the hell is this site? I make fun of GOP party liners and my comment gets taken down. I didn’t even use a potty mouth. Bunch of Jesus Humping freaks. Close you bibles, put down your flags and stop being a bunch of soulless jacka**es….

Jun 18, 2009 - 2:38 pm 56. Blackwater:

You have to understand the mindset of a truely left wing ideologue. I can tell you what this stems from because I used to be one. Leftists, especially from the Cold War days, think missile defense like Reagan’s “Star Wars” programs is provactive and only escalates the problem. They think it will lead to more and more deadly nuclear weapons which will be designed to bypass our missile defenses. So therefore they see it as a waste of money and energy and saber rattling to the whole world which will only incrase the likleyhood of attack. It’s a crazy worldview that developed in the 70s and 80s and became the major talking points of the left to attack Reagan and spending on national security. Also the left is EXTREMELY anti-military. They think soldiers are violent lizard brained Nazis who are too stupid to have a career outside of the military. And think spending hundreds of billions of dollars on bombs, tanks and guns is grotesque and counter-productive to establishing world peace. See, they see AMERICA as the evil violent power in the world. And our soldiers are the true killers. We should be spending all this money on researching ways to prevent war. That’s just they think. It’s this kind of naive idealism that’s almost laughable if it wasn’t so dangerous. They have too much faith in the international community. They think the world will be peaceful and prosperous if only we minded our own business and stopped trying to police the world. And Obama seems to have come of age during the peek of this madness in the 80s. He surrounded himself around these leftist activists and intellectuals and is convinced that missile defense is dangerous for US and counter-productive to his goal of getting rid of all nuclear weapons in the world. Pray to God they’re right and no nut or empire fires a nuke at us. Because if they do it’s all over.

Jun 18, 2009 - 7:42 pm 57. GlennO:

When all reasoning fails, refer back to the obvious.

Obama/Dems are dropping our defenses and making us defenseless against ballistic missile attack.

They wish us to be hit? How could they increase their power thru such a craven intrigue?

Who has that capability to partner up with them?

The movie “Goldfinger” is very instructive in this respect. He was not going to empty Fort Knox, he was going to make the gold supply of the US and most of the world radioactive and useless for a century – and enrich the value of his holdings, safely stored elsewhere.

Now, who wishes to complete the narrative of “what if”?

Jun 18, 2009 - 8:22 pm 58. Cybergeezer:

Well, then; If this is true, the movement in the Pacific to thwart Koreas missiles is only symbolic. There won’t be enough money to carry out the plan. Our enemies are going to laugh their asses off.

Jun 19, 2009 - 3:30 pm 59. SteveB/Colorado:

Well, this thread contains the usual anti-Obama, anti-Dem, anti-liberal rhetoric that we all know and love. None of it is sufficient to conceal the fact that Ms. Rubin did a poor job of research. Comments by Dennis (#48, 49); Daniel (#53); Demmy (#54) are much closer to reality.

One can find interesting commentary on this web site: http://www.cdi.org/programs. Check out the item: “Pentagon Officials Point Out Flaws in Missile Defense Programs.” Here are comments from Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly, executive director of the Missile Defense Agency.
“Thirty operational GBIs (ground based interceptors) will provide the US with a substantial inventory of operational interceptors considering the limited number of ICBM launch complexes in North Korea & Iran and the long development time required for additional launch complexes.” In short, what we already have is sufficient to counter any short term and longer term missile threats from North Korea or Iran.

Further comment from a CDI analyst: “propping up an expensive system that lacks operational viability will not counter the threat of terrorism & insurgency.” The fact that missile defense has been proposed and tested for over 25 years and still doesn’t work…..cutting it back is more than just “bean counting,” as suggested by Ms. Rubin.

#43 Roger Welcome: I voted for McCain.

#52 Patrick Keegan: “….launched from a tramp steamer in mid-Atlantic….” For that scenario, I’d rather pay a few million for good intel rather than billions for missile defense that doesn’t work. But hopefully better intel than the intel saying there were WMDs in Iraq in 2003.

Jun 19, 2009 - 4:47 pm 60. Linda Rivera:

Soon to be nuclear, Iran has threatened repeatedly to DESTROY America. North Korea (and other countries) share the same all-consuming hate for America. Treasonous Democrats are determined to make sure our enemies succeed.

God help America.

Jun 20, 2009 - 4:26 pm 61. SteveB/Colorado:

#60 Linda Rivera” “Treasonous Democrats are determined……” How is it treason to defer spending more money on weapons systems that don’t work? Guess you didn’t check out some prior posts.

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:36 pm 62. Mike51:

Doesn’t any of you realize that Congress and all of the legislatures don’t work for the people any more (if they really ever did). They all work in conjunction with the President and the Federal Reserve for the New World Order. Our government is just using the activities of Congress and the House of Representatives as a ruse to ruin and destroy the United States as a sovereign nation, and financially bankrupt our people by using the Federal Reserve in conjunction with the Council on Foreign Relations to disperse our money to foreign nations and force the American Taxpayer to pay for these so called loans by forgiving the loans made to foreign nations but still expecting the American people to pay for the money loaned out by the Federal Reserve.

Jun 22, 2009 - 10:24 am

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