Sandpiper, I'm really trying to see your reasoning here. How on earth can you compare the American reality tomorrow to that of Israel today? Even if you make the argument, what would a defense shield do in that situation? Absolutely nothing! Could it prevent it? NO. Plus, to be honest, I have a real problem with the US compared to country engaged in so many human rights violations.

The argument has been made time and time again in history that if we build our defenses, other countries will be discouraged to have conflicts with US. Has it worked? Well, it sorta worked with the USSR only because they ran out of cash. What happens, instead of countries backing off, they instead get defensive and increase their capablities to match or exceed ours. Do we want billions of Chinese or Indian people working against us? Why start another arms race?

Right now every rogue country wants nuclear weapons. Why? Because they know that nuclear powers do not go to war against eachother, which is an off shoot of the MAD doctrine. Arms race in action... and missile defense will only increase their ferver.

It will create an imbalance and I have no doubt that it will make rogue countries even more hostile and make those on the fence, such as China, increasingly defensive and closed off from US influence.

Who are our enemies? Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Lybia, most of Africa... How many missiles do you think any of these countries are going to launch at the US? All of zero. So who are we protecting ourselves against? The communists are now capitalists in China. Who else is there?

North Korea? Lets put this in perspective. If the N. Koreans were to assult the US mainland with the 1-4 nuclear weapons they have, do you think there would be a North Korea the next day? No. They might be a little nutty, but they're not that nutty.

Countries I'm worried about: India and Pakistan. People seem to forget they almost had a nuclear war rather recently. Both are controlled by radical religious factions. What would missile defense do in that situation? Nothing.

Face it guys, the red army isn't coming. The US isn't facing a threat that can be controlled, prevented, or even eased by missile defense. Its consequences are largely negative and do not serve the national interest of defense.

I'm all for defense, but lets not put up a paper tiger and expect it to fool anyone.