Search This Blog

Monday, March 18, 2013

News From Russia... and Insights Into NRA

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre92g0cu-us-russia-usa-defence/
 
Russian lawmaker not reassured by U.S. missile defense plan 


MOSCOW, Mar. 17, 2013 (Reuters) — A change in the United States plans for an anti-missile shield in Europe will not prompt Russia to drop its opposition to the system, a senior lawmaker allied to President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday.


U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Friday the Pentagon would add 14 new anti-missile interceptors in Alaska, among others, after North Korea had threatened a preemptive nuclear strike against the United States.
To free up funds for that, U.S. officials said they were forgoing development of a new interceptor that would have been deployed in central eastern Europe and has been a focus of Russia's concern that the shield would weaken its nuclear deterrent.
But Alexei Pushkov, head of the foreign committee in the Russian parliament's lower house, the State Duma, said the change would not dispel Moscow's concerns about the missile shield the United States and NATO are developing in Europe.
The missile defense shield is to protect against Iran and North Korea.
I have no idea how effective this shield is. If it is not 100%, there will be some hurt somewhere.

Nevertheless, what is there about this story that reminds one of Wayne LaPierre and the NRA? Perhaps the business of having armed guards everywhere... or missile defense systems.

Since we cannot disarm - whether guns or atomic warheads - we actually need armed guards, whether they be armed security personnel or anti-missile missiles. 
The very same logic that applies to nuclear weapons applies to hand weapons.

This is one reason why I have shut up on guns: the fact that Wayne LaPierre was quite right, logically...
If a society cannot disarm and allows the great majority of people to have arms and to carry them concealed and unconcealed, the only possible way to protect oneself is to also have a weapon. In an atomic world, we need Mutually Assured Destruction, in the class room, armed teachers.

At least Mr. LaPierre realizes what we have created. There is no quick way to undo the Gun-Toting nature of the USA; it will endure for generations.

And we are in danger of slipping into nuclear hell, also.
--

1 comment:

Montag said...

Nils Bohr spoke of the complementarity of atomicc weapons, the promise and the threat...
we - meaning Stimson, Truman, Jimmy Byrnes, et alii - ignored Bohr then and we ignore him now, for we do not come together to reason about those weapons.