President Obama's decision to scrap a planned missile defense system that was to be constructed in the Czech Republic and Poland represents another triumph of fact-based decision-making. As an article in Foreign Policy points out, the proposed missile defense system represented a shield "that did not work against a threat that did not exist." Instead the US and NATO will consider deploying much cheaper and more effective interceptors against the actual threat of short range missiles from Iran.Of course, the usual gang of neo-cons are outraged, as reported by TPM. Interestingly, however, none of them contend that the Bush-planned missile-defense system would have been efficacious in any way. Max Boot even admits that the thing probably wouldn't work, but thinks we should have built it anyway just for show. No doubt this faith-based defense community will continue to portray President Obama's and Defense Secretary Gates's decision as caving in to the Russians, and demonstrating America's weakness. In reality, however, it will demonstrate that America finally has some common sense.
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