A Bird’s Eye View: Exchanging insanity for a lesser insanity
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Advena Avis
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 21, 2009 00:00
Remember the missile defense system proposed by the previous U.S. administration that aimed to protect Europe from nuclear missile attacks from North Korea and Iran if such a threat ever emerged? Remember the justified concerns over this defense system raised by Russia and the tensions that it created between Moscow and Washington?
Well it now seems that the Obama administration is showing skepticism about this system. In a recent letter from Obama to the Russian president, he offered to modify the previous administration's plan for a missile defense system in Europe. We think that this is good news for humanity; in spite of the fact that we birds continue to believe that such a system is not necessary.
Nevertheless, we read a very interesting proposal, published in the International Herald Tribune on Feb. 13 by Professor Theodore Postel, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as an alternative plan to that proposed by the previous administration that has its merits. Allow us to quote some excerpts from his article: "This is a proposal I've developed and analyzed with a variety of American and Russian experts and the idea itself is simple. The defense system would shoot down Iranian or North Korean long-range missiles as they slowly accelerate from their launching sites. It would take advantage of the fact that long-range missiles built by Iran or North Korea would be large and cumbersome, have long, powered flight times and could take off only from well-known launching sites. The defense would have fast-accelerating interceptors that could home in on and destroy the large, slow and fragile ICBMs. The interceptors would weigh about a ton and could achieve a top speed of five kilometers per second in tens of seconds. They would be carried by stealthy unmanned airborne vehicles that look like B-2 bombers, but are smaller and carry much smaller, though still substantial, payloads. Such vehicles already exist. Only two of these armed drones, controlled by remote teams of operators, would be needed to patrol within several hundred kilometers of a launching site. At these ranges, it would be possible to shoot down an ICBM, with its nuclear warhead, so that the debris falls on the country that launched it. Only five drones would be needed to maintain a continuous patrol for extended periods. But the system would have to operate only when satellites and reconnaissance aircraft indicate that an ICBM is being prepared at the launching site."
More logical
This system sounds to us more logical than the previous one, within the framework of human insanity, since it also poses no threat to Russia or China, whose missiles are far too numerous and dispersed over such large areas that that the defense would have little or no chance to engage them, according to Professor Postol. So if Russia could go along with this idea or even participate in it, then it would be the logical way to proceed to a better but still insane concept. Otherwise Russia will proceed to establish air bases in Cuba and in Venezuela, as it has the right to, since the United States has similar installations in many places close to the Russian borders.
We regret that Muntader al-Zaidi, received a three-year sentence for having thrown his shoes at the previous U.S. president. We hope that his appeal will result in his release or that a pardon will be issued to him for an act that was praised by humanity.
Ponder our thoughts dear humans for your benefit.
Nevertheless, we read a very interesting proposal, published in the International Herald Tribune on Feb. 13 by Professor Theodore Postel, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as an alternative plan to that proposed by the previous administration that has its merits. Allow us to quote some excerpts from his article: "This is a proposal I've developed and analyzed with a variety of American and Russian experts and the idea itself is simple. The defense system would shoot down Iranian or North Korean long-range missiles as they slowly accelerate from their launching sites. It would take advantage of the fact that long-range missiles built by Iran or North Korea would be large and cumbersome, have long, powered flight times and could take off only from well-known launching sites. The defense would have fast-accelerating interceptors that could home in on and destroy the large, slow and fragile ICBMs. The interceptors would weigh about a ton and could achieve a top speed of five kilometers per second in tens of seconds. They would be carried by stealthy unmanned airborne vehicles that look like B-2 bombers, but are smaller and carry much smaller, though still substantial, payloads. Such vehicles already exist. Only two of these armed drones, controlled by remote teams of operators, would be needed to patrol within several hundred kilometers of a launching site. At these ranges, it would be possible to shoot down an ICBM, with its nuclear warhead, so that the debris falls on the country that launched it. Only five drones would be needed to maintain a continuous patrol for extended periods. But the system would have to operate only when satellites and reconnaissance aircraft indicate that an ICBM is being prepared at the launching site."
More logical
This system sounds to us more logical than the previous one, within the framework of human insanity, since it also poses no threat to Russia or China, whose missiles are far too numerous and dispersed over such large areas that that the defense would have little or no chance to engage them, according to Professor Postol. So if Russia could go along with this idea or even participate in it, then it would be the logical way to proceed to a better but still insane concept. Otherwise Russia will proceed to establish air bases in Cuba and in Venezuela, as it has the right to, since the United States has similar installations in many places close to the Russian borders.
We regret that Muntader al-Zaidi, received a three-year sentence for having thrown his shoes at the previous U.S. president. We hope that his appeal will result in his release or that a pardon will be issued to him for an act that was praised by humanity.
Ponder our thoughts dear humans for your benefit.