Email from senator John Cornyn 4-13-09

21st Century Threats
‘Unproven Technology’ Lays Basis for Missile Defense

The following op-ed ran in today’s edition of the Defense News, which can be accessed here.

On April 5, North Korea launched a missile – and sent the world a wake-up call.

Ballistic missiles in the hands of rogue states, potentially armed with weapons of mass destruction, remain one of the most serious security threats of the 21st century. Change of administrations in Washington does not change this strategic imperative: Free nations must defend themselves from ballistic missile attack through robust and layered missile defense capabilities.

North Korea’s launch continues a ballistic missile development program that is now four decades old, and which many believe is the most advanced in the developing world. North Korea’s Taepo Dong-2 long-range missile has the potential capability to strike Hawaii, Alaska and possibly the West Coast of the United States.

Many observers agree that North Korea has proliferated elements of its missile program, along with those of its nuclear program, and has helped accelerate development of dangerous capabilities in Iran and other nations. Iran’s capabilities, in turn, could threaten all our allies in Europe, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East, including Israel.

Despite the growing risk, the new U.S. administration seems determined to scale back our missile defense capabilities and leave us and our allies more vulnerable.

On the same day that North Korea tested its new capabilities, President Barack Obama announced that America’s capabilities would be subject to new restrictions. He said in Prague that our missile defense partnership with NATO, including a tracking radar to be based on Czech soil, would go forward only if it is cost-effective and proven, and if the threat from Iran persists. These qualifications may seem reasonable, yet they signal unreasonable cutbacks throughout our missile defense program.

The next day, Defense Secretary Robert Gates made clear which U.S. missile defense capabilities meet the administration’s new standards. Approved for more funding are the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, the Standard Missile 3 program, and the conversion of six Aegis cruisers for missile defense.

Defunded or delayed are the Multiple Kill Vehicle program, the Airborne Laser program and additional ground-based interceptors in Alaska. Overall, the administration plans to cut funding for missile defense by nearly $1.5 billion, or about 15 percent.

Reading between the lines, we can see the new administration’s priorities. They recognize our proven but limited capability to destroy missiles in the midcourse and terminal stages of flight, yet they resist developing new technologies that would defeat such missiles much earlier, in the critical boost phase. In Europe, what they haven’t left out of the budget they seem eager to give away at the negotiating table.

And while trillions of dollars in domestic spending are justified as economic stimulus, new defenses against ballistic missiles – built right here in America – must overcome much higher hurdles from the budgetary bean counters.

FIXING THE PRIORITIES

The administration has set the wrong priorities, partly because it takes too lightly the growing missile threat from rogue states, but mostly because it has failed to recognize three crucial developments over the past 25 years.

First, new technologies have proved the skeptics wrong. During the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan’s vision of defenses against ballistic missiles was dismissed as science fiction. Today, our nation has deployed ground-based interceptors, early warning satellites, land- and sea-based radars, and an integrated command, control, battle management and communications infrastructure. Together these components give us an emergency capability against a limited long-range ballistic missile attack, yet each of them, decades ago, was merely an “unproven” technology.

Research, development and deployment of today’s unproven technologies are the key to improving our defenses in the decades to come.

Second, the administration seems unaware of the sea change in international public opinion on the issue of missile defense. At the close of the 20th century, our allies and friends were still very skeptical of missile defense. Yet, consistent and patient diplomacy by the Bush administration changed all that. Today, our nation has cooperative agreements on missile defense with the United Kingdom, Denmark, Italy, Japan and Australia.

We are working with Poland and the Czech Republic to give NATO a missile defense capability, and with Israel to improve its defenses against medium-range rockets. India, France and many other nations have expressed interest in cooperating with us on these technologies. Cutting back on U.S. missile defense capabilities makes no sense when so many allies and friends want to deepen their cooperation with us.

Third, support for U.S. missile defenses now crosses partisan lines. Five of my colleagues, including Independent Joe Lieberman and Democrat Mark Begich, wrote President Obama following his administration’s proposed funding cuts for missile defense. They urged him to reconsider these recommendations and to continue development of an integrated, layered defense against the ballistic missile threat.

I share my colleagues’ concerns, as do millions of Americans across the political spectrum. The president has inspired so many with his vision of crossing ideological divides to pursue common, long-term objectives. Building the infrastructure of missile defense presents a tremendous opportunity to make that vision a reality.

President Obama, like every commander in chief, must make difficult choices to protect our people, advance freedom and defend our strategic interests. I applaud his surge of forces in Afghanistan and appreciate the additional defense capabilities he appears willing to fund. Yet I will oppose any cuts to missile defenses, and to any program that gives us a fighting chance to deter and defeat the security threats of the 21st century.

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I bet North Korea is scared now! I say we should have barbecued him!

I bet North Korea and Kim Jong il are just shaking in their shorts! Barack Obama and the U.N. are going to have a meeting! That is kind of like saying, ‘well, he did it, now what do we do?’ Are there no leaders left in the world? Here is the kicker, Mexico’s ambassador is the one in the barrel this month! Oh boy, can we talk about the illegals while this meeting is going on? I feel so safe, had that been a nuke, it would have been like way too late, something would have been glowing by now! If the world is going to follow Mexico’s lead, we are done for! What are they going to do, send aome illegals to take over North Korea? Read the story below, that is Comrade Obama’s Statement.

From the BNO Newsroom.

Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC (BNO NEWS) – “North Korea’s development and proliferation of ballistic missile technology pose a threat to the northeast Asian region and to international peace and security. The launch today of a Taepo-dong 2 missile was a clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, which expressly prohibits North Korea from conducting ballistic missile-related activities of any kind. With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations.

We will immediately consult with our allies in the region, including Japan and the Republic of Korea, and members of the U.N. Security Council to bring this matter before the Council. I urge North Korea to abide fully by the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and to refrain from further provocative actions.

Preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is a high priority for my administration. The United States is fully committed to maintaining security and stability in northeast Asia and we will continue working for the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through the Six-Party Talks. The Six-Party Talks provide the forum for achieving denuclearization, reducing tensions, and for resolving other issues of concern between North Korea, its four neighbors, and the United States. North Korea has a pathway to acceptance in the international community, but it will not find that acceptance unless it abandons its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and abides by its international obligations and commitments.”

Here is an excerpt from FoxNews.

UNITED NATIONS —  The U.N. Security Council approved an emergency session Sunday to deal with North Korea’s rocket launch.

So, now what?

Diplomats at the U.N. say the U.S., Britain, France and South Korea already have begun discussing a possible Security Council resolution to reaffirm its existing sanctions on North Korea.

Is anybody out there?  Hello, what was that loud bang? Oh look, my doggy just melted! Come on people, another resolution? Like did the last one work? It is a bit like sending a pedophile to prison and rehab, IT WILL NOT WORK! What was it, 17 U.N. Resolutions before we actually had the balls to take out Saddam? Can anybody see the pattern here but me?

I have made this next segment of the quote above bold, so that you can read it in its full context, “I urge North Korea to abide fully by the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and to refrain from further provocative actions.” What? Obama URGES North Korea? I guess Biden was right? Maybe they already had this worked out?

I am sorry, if I had been the Commander in Chief, and had told North Korea, the same words that Obama did before, what was it? Something about an at of aggression? I would have been forced to keep my word, in other words, That fat, perverted, North Korean Bastard would now be Barbecue! Between us, South Korea and Japan, we could have smoked that half of the continent, and made some growing room for South Korea! After all, what are the Chinese going to say, we now owe them TRILLIONS of dollars! That would be like a dope dealer killing a junkie, they wouldn’t get paid if we were at war! Now, that is diplomacy!

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Socialism: Why is this bad for America?

For those of you that do not “Get It”, socialism is where control of your life, your business, your family, and everything else, is taken away from you and given to the government. Socialism always starts out looking like a nice thing, Free Stuff for Everybody! Welfare for all!  However, somebody has to pay for it!

I am sure that everyone has seen that the government CANNOT be trusted to spend money wisely, look at what happened with the TARP program, you know, the first wave of the bailouts, they have already “misplaced” $78 Billion! Had this program been handled the way it was said that they would, this money would now be helping things in the housing market, did it work? Obviously not, now they want more! So, where were you on the first one? Did you agree with it? Did it do you any good? Now, “President” Obama is trying to get a new spending bill shoved through the system, under the guise “Stimulous”, even Obama himself has called it a spending plan! So, why should We the People, let the government spend another Trillion or two, or three, or whatever it ends up being? We shouldn’t!

What is the plan? Well, at this point, Obama’s idea is to create jobs through re-building the infrastructure, you know, old government buildings, roads, bridges, and so on, sounds good right? Have you ever noticed who is doing the construction work? I don’t know about where you live, but here in Texas, you don’t see too many Americans actually doing the work, so, who will this help?

Here is another part, Obama is going to make the Unions have even more power, you know who runs the unions, right? So, if you combine Unions, and labor jobs, to get this “job” you will have to join a union! I have seen what happens when they are in charge, the cost of the job is more than double what the private sector could do the work for, that sounds wasteful to me. Does the $700 hammer come to mind yet? I thank God I live in Texas, those Pro Union states will be the one that waste the most money!

Back to the main topic, socialism, these union jobs are a perfect example of socialism at its best, in order to get these jobs, you must pay an additional tax, called “Union Dues”, since I am not in a union, I don’t know what the percentage is, but I do know it is like paying double the FICA tax you already pay! Now, lets look at this from the consumer side, do you know how much “extra” a car costs you because of the union? Well, the last I read, there is an addition $1000, just to cover the health care costs of the workers! Think about this, how many cars are built each day? Lets just say it is one car per employee average, that is what $30,000 a month, per employee,  just for health care! Here in Texas, you can get health insurance for a whole family for maybe $600, per month! See where I am headed? It is called waste!

I lived in Germany for almost 10 years, and at that time, I paid 10% of my gross pay for health insurance, a couple of years ago, my daughter, who lives there, told me it was up to 15%, then, she will be here in a few days and I will ask again what it is now, but regardless, 15% of your paycheck gone for insurance, that doesn’t sound bad if you only make a couple of bucks a month, but, this is per person, so, if you are married, husband and wife pay 15% each. What this boils down to, is myself and my ex, together were paying between 6-800 per month at 10%, at 15%, that would be 9-1200, per month, and yes, I was in my 20’s then! This is just for health insurance, the income tax is astronomical as well!

Once the government has control of everything, do you think prices will go down? Look at Luftansa airlines, owned by the German Government, to fly with them it costs double or triple the rate of an american airline like Delta, once the government bails out the airlines, who will be able to fly? What will happen to the cost of a new car? What about a government owned home? Is socialism sounding like a good thing? America is supposed to be free, the right to life, liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness and all of that right? As Glenn Beck has pointed out, the pursuit of happiness is not a guarantee of happiness, just the right to pursue it! We all have different levels of skill, intelligence, and ability, should the person who can earn millions be responible to pay for people like me that don’t? There is no such thing as a free ride, and if your boss has to pay more, just to have you as an employee, will you be the one he has to get rid of, to pay for keeping someone else? Remember, it is the dead weight that goes first, if you want a free ride, are you a productive employee?

Maybe you noticed, all of the big layoffs started when it became obvious that Obama would win, these companies were just getting ready for what was coming! Once you add in all of the Welfare and Entitlements, this country will be like France, in other words, a really big mess! Since it is these companies that pay the most in taxes, what else can they do?

Tax cuts are the answer, not more spending, if you are in debt and cannot pay your credit cards, do you go out and buy a new car? I don’t think so, but that is what this spending bill amounts to! If your neighbor does this, should you make his or her car payment? Well, that is what is coming, welcome to socialism!

If Obama gets his spending bill passed, and I am sure that he will, this country will be in debt at the tune of $37,000, per person, per year, are you ready to write that check? With the government bailing out, or buying, private companies, increasing entitlements, not just social security, but welfare as well, what will this do? Just get out that checkbook and don’t worry about it, the government will fix it, with your money!

Oh, I almost forgot, remember that tax cut for 95% of Americans? Well, I hope you enjoy that extra $13 on your paycheck!

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