missile "defense"

Not surprising that a panel appointed by the Pentagon has found fault in how Bush's pet missile defense program has been rushed. Actually, it does surprise me slightly that the Pentagon actually paid for the study and has now released this info; I guess there must be a few generals there who recognize its utter absurdity.

What's not to like about the program? Heck, it's only cost $10 billion so far and for that piddling sum, we now have a nifty system that just might, maybe, perhaps hit a North Korean missile as long as the North Koreans launched only one missile, told us in advance when it would be launched, gave us its trajectory, and promised not to use the most basic, elementary countermeasures like balloons that would confuse the intercepting missile.

Of course, this system will have absolutely no chance of stopping a nuclear weapon that is put on a small boat and sailed into the port of Houston -- a far more likely scenario nowadays than the launch of an ICBM against the American mainland.

Star Wars was stupid during Reagan's presidency, and it's stupid now. A nice piece of pork for the military-industrial complex, courtesy of the US taxpayer.