The End of Yet Another Reaganite Fantasy

The Times of London is reporting this morning that the United States has scrapped Bush's plan to build a missile defense system in Eastern Europe.

It is about time that some degree of realism has taken hold. Nobody has ever put forth a single rationale as to why Iran would want to fire nuclear missiles at Europe. Given that there are two nuclear-armed European states in NATO, both of whom have SSBNs, firing a nuclear weapon at Europe would be akin to national suicide.

The main effect of Little Georgie Bush's plans for an ABM system is Europe has been to piss off the Russians for no goddamn good reason, other than to give joy to the aging and decrepit Cold Warriors in the party of Clowns. No sanctions against Iran would be possible, let alone effective, without Russian cooperation. Russian cooperation will be needed in the event that the Balkan Wars unfreeze. One might even argue that the Russian smashing of the Georgian military last year was a big "oh yeah, well, fuck you" right back to George Bush.

Putting in a missile defense system in Europe and then negotiating a further reduction in nuclear weapons between Russia and the U.S. were obviously conflicting plans. President Obama chose the smart route.