[Bobboau]

Originally posted by Rictor
Cause the threat is too remote to justify spending billions of Canadian dollars. America can do what it wants with the missle shield, thats their own thing, but Canada shouldn't pour it money and influence into something thats not only ineffective, but costly as well (and not just financially, but politically as well).

Originally posted by the article at the top of the thread
The U.S. is not seeking to base missiles in Canada and is not looking for a financial contribution to the program. It also does not need Canada's participation to continue with the program.

[Grey Wolf]

Originally posted by Rictor
Grey Wolf. uhm, as far as I know, Cuba never had the will. They just needed arms to protect itself, and since the US pressured the entire Western world into refusing to sell any, Cuba had to turn to the USSR, who took the opportunity to exploit the situation and pretty much made stationing missles in Cuba a prerequisite for any weapons sales. Or at least, thats my understanding of it.

Cuba probably wouldn't have fired missiles, just as the USSR probably would not have. They'd be quite a bit more likely than a country such as France would be.

[Janos]

Originally posted by Grey Wolf
There's only been about two countries who have had the will and the technology to attack the mainland United States: the Soviet Union and Cuba. Cuba had its missiles taken back, and the Soviet Union collapsed. So who are we afraid of attacking? Are we afraid that North Korea will nuke the Aleutians? Or perhaps we're afraid that Jacques Chirac will nuke New York? There's no point to this now, even less than when it was first proposed in the Reagan administration.

Yes.

The entire point is prevention. It's not about who would attack US now, but about who would attack US in the future. I don't know about the idea, but as long as the missile shield system isn't designed to prevent an all-out launch from Russia/China/anyone with more than few dozen warheads, I find it somewhat okay.

[Bobboau]

well as I understand it the system is intended to protect against small scale atacks, so if random crackpot dictatorship #37521642 builds a missle and stupidly decideds to take a pot shot at us we have *something* we can do about it.

[karajorma]

The reason why Canada don't want it is quite simple. If random crackpot dictatorship #37521642 decided to take a potshot at the US they might decide to take down the shield by taking a potshot at Canada first.

At the moment Canada aren't a target and there's no good reason why they should be one. So why should they make themselves one?

[pyro-manic]

Originally posted by karajorma
At the moment Canada aren't a target and there's no good reason why they should be one. So why should they make themselves one?