No not the movie, the defense initiative.
During the Cold War, our movie actor president (a bit ironic isn't it?) thought it would be a good idea to build the Star Wars program. Basically, he wanted to build a weapon that would orbit earth and be able to shoot down ballistic missiles. Initially, nuclear warheads were delivered by manned aircraft. The rocket frenzy that ensued after the launching of the Sputnik was more a concern about nuclear warfare than about sending people to the moon.[1] Somewhere in the early 1960’s there were enough ICBMs armed with nuclear warheads in both the US and the USSR to give each a second strike capability and mutually assured destruction (MAD) set in. In other words, I have enough bombs that if you shoot me I can still shoot you back and we’ll both be ruined.
As crazy as it sounds, MAD is widely accepted as the safest possible situation in a nuclear world. That wasn’t good enough for President Reagan though. Much to the dismay defense experts and peace strategists, he wanted to be able to shoot and not be shot. The Star Wars program was one more way to try and assert the US’s already declining hegemony. Fortunately the program did not make much progress before it was cancelled.
Unfortunately, a few decades later George W. thought it would be a good idea to resurrect the Star Wars idea (although the technology is quite different). Of course, W. says that he just wants to protect us from the terrorists (i.e. anybody his administration doesn’t like) who might be able to get a hold of a war head (not very likely) that works (incredibly unlikely) on a missile (virtually impossible) that they are capable of shooting at the US (almost inconceivable).
So what’s the problem with putting up missile defense installations in Poland? Other than making anybody who has ideas different from our own extremely nervous, because they would suddenly be susceptible to unilateral violence, why would terrorists shoot missiles at the US by way of Poland? Ok, so an installation in Poland could shoot down anything within roughly 1500, maybe 2000 miles, but still… look at the map. Also, the US navy, as well as several others around the world, have these ships with what we often call AEGIS technology. Basically they can shoot down ballistic missiles; they are like miniature floating missile defense systems.
Some of the Europeans are not opposed to having missile defense systems in their countries but the neighbors, generally, are. With so much controversy over the issue, why keep pushing it? It’s not a matter of protecting our allies. The places that have been discussed as possible sites for installations are capable of developing the technology and building their own. The EU is every bit as capable as the US.
So, why do we need to build missile defense installations in Poland?
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[1] A purely scientific endeavor would never receive that kind of funding.
