In case you missed it, Monday marked yet another failed test of the National Missile Defense program. In a novel use of the “It’s not our fault” defense, officials are saying that unlike previous failures, it’s not the system that is to blame, but rather the launch site. According to a Missile Defense Agency spokesman, “The problem last night had nothing to do with the interceptor. It could be the silo.”
Also, the dog ate our homework.
By my estimation, the cost of this program, which began in the 1980′s as Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, is now pushing $100 billion. If we are to believe the Bush administration’s claims, this system (still occasionally referred to by its supporters by its PR-friendly name “Star Wars”) will provide a protective shield against the evil designs of rogue regimes such as North Korea and Iran. However, the only tests the system has ever passed have been rigged, and it currently sixed of exactly six interceptor vehicles deployed in Fairbanks, Alaska that have not actually been activated yet due to the ongoing systems problems.