Missile Shields

Ever since we first began slinging rocks and shooting arrows at each other we have tried different defences against these weapons falling from space. We tried wearing hardened hats and holding shields above our heads; we chased buzz bombs with spitfires; we installed nuclear-armed Bomarc missiles around North America, and finally, in a show of technological supremacy, deployed the less-than effective Patriot systems that attempted to stop the Scuds in Bush War I. (In Bush War II the patriot system had been so improved it shot down two allied aircraft!)

Now the United States wants to develop and deploy a space-based “Patriot”system that will intercept missiles that are launched into sub space by our enemies who are intent on destroying us. George wants an answer from Paul this fall as to whether Canada is going to sign on to this costly scheme to foil our enemies. By signing on to the Missile Defence Initiative, we would be assured that we would be protected from some people who don’t like us who have the ability to design, build, arm and launch a number of missiles aimed at either Toronto or Ottawa. Obviously Paul thinks this is a genuine possibility.

Does the US really think that populating space with sophisticated laser-targeting devices is the best way to defend itself against as yet unnamed enemies? Or is this a profit-driven project by the defence industry to keep it employed and racking in taxpayer dollars? One becomes a little paranoid about US policies given their past and recent history in foreign affairs.

Given that Saddam was a bad dude and the people of Iraq may be better off without him, depending on who ultimately replaces him, what was the real reason for the US going to war in the Gulf? Securing their source of oil has often been cited, but I suspect there were a lot of other people pulling Bush’s strings besides the oil industry. Everyone knows that there were no weapons of mass destruction. If there had been, the Israelis would have taken them out, the same way they took care of Saddam’s nuclear program. And the Israelis would have known about the WMD because they have intelligence agents in countries that may be a threat to them.

Herein lies the problem. Great Britain and the US both gutted their intelligence networks after the end of the cold war, relying on computer software and telephone intercepts instead of human intelligence resources (spies) who worked in country. That is why they had no idea whether Saddam had WMD. They might have asked the Israelis, but then Israel had no love for Saddam and may have calmly sat on their hands while the Americans and Brits with their coalition of the semi-willing destroyed an Arab country.

Designing, manufacturing and testing a missile system capable of attacking North America cannot be done in secrecy. With a proper intelligence network, the Americans would soon know of any such effort. With a little sabotage work and a few kilos of C4, most programs could be disrupted and discouraged. A ‘smart’ bomb dropped by an invisible Nighthawk stealth bomber could certainly bring most missile complexes to a standstill. As for a terrorist group being able to develop a missile program, it simply takes too long, is too expensive and too easily found out.

It would be much less costly and more effective to put some human intelligence operatives in place around the world. All this would cost far less and it would help Paul keep his election promise of not putting arms in space.

So why does the US government not take this path towards security? The same reason they bombed the crap out of Iraq – they want the profits resulting from the rebuilding program. Is it beyond reason to suspect that ACME Bridge Company didn’t pad some political pockets to have the USAF target bridges in Iraq? Or that ACME Waterworks Inc didn’t ask that Tuesday’s targets of opportunity be all water pumping stations in and around Baghdad? That ACME Electric was in line for repairing all destroyed electrical substations that were blown to bits as strategic targets? Dick Cheney’s friends have great resources for rebuilding pipelines, but that had to be balanced against the longer term loss of oil flowing from the recently repaired oil pumping fields.

If you don’t believe that this couldn’t happen, hearken back to Bush’s promise during the last State of the Union address about his 10 billion dollar Aids program. It turns out there was a small catch to this promise. The drugs used had to be supplied by pharmaceutical companies who provided patented drugs, not generic drugs at a fraction of the cost that would have helped millions of more people. Any guesses who the drug companies supported during the last election? Yet altruism is not dead in Washington. Remember all the American assistance provided by the CIA in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Grenada?

Of course not all American foreign policy is based on profit by the defence industry or those who would rebuild what defence had destroyed. Sometimes they use their controlling influence with the World Bank to suck money from developing nations, although this guise of goodliness is wearing thin and other nations are questioning the Bank’s policies. And in the sad case of Cuba, their heavy-handed policy is to get votes for brother Jeb in Florida where many ex-patriot Cubans want to return to the days and ways of Batista.

Paul Martin, and whoever is going to side with his minority government on this issue, ought to think long and hard before tying us to the Missile Defence Initiative. If we are doing it for the economic spin offs, let us be right up front and say okay, as soon as you drop all the tariffs on our products, we’ll climb aboard your spacecraft. If we are doing it for our own safety and defence, let’s identify who is angry with us and see if we can’t resolve the issues some other way – the Canadian way, before we hand over our sovereignty to the US defence system.

All the space-based interceptors the US can put in orbit won’t stop some fanatic with TNT tied around his or her waist. If some group wants to harm the US, they will do it through guerrilla warfare, not by nuclear weapons from space. The United States has the wealth, technology and power to do a lot of good in the world, and on the individual level, they do much good. Even if there is little or no profit in doing so, maybe more work at ground level would slowly erase the reasons why they (and we) are attracting the hostility of so much of the third world. It would be the Christian and Muslim thing to do.

The billions of tax dollars and millions of hours of intellectual energy needed for the Missile Defence program can be better used. Surely we ought to try to improve our condition here on earth by something other than flinging stones and arrows at each other.