Star Wars is now here!

[Luminiferous]

Oh I thought maybe you'd finally bulls-eyed a womp rat in your T-16..

[KneelandBobDylan]

I'm sure this waste of money is Obama's fault somehow. These things only take what...4 or 5 months to develop?

[VinnieKulick]

I'm sure this waste of money is Obama's fault somehow. These things only take what...4 or 5 months to develop?

Who said it was a waste of money?

[MickeyG]

Wasn't this something the Reagan administration used to bullshit the Russians into overspending and thus brought about the collapse of the Soviet Union?

[KneelandBobDylan]

I'm sure this waste of money is Obama's fault somehow. These things only take what...4 or 5 months to develop?

Who said it was a waste of money?

See, now you're just being adversarial.

[VinnieKulick]

No, you're the only person who mentioned cost.

I'm saying, what's so bad about it being developed?

[KneelandBobDylan]

No, you're the only person who mentioned cost.

I'm saying, what's so bad about it being developed?

Cost, for one.

[VinnieKulick]

No, you're the only person who mentioned cost.

I'm saying, what's so bad about it being developed?

Cost, for one.

I am sure it costs less than this healthcare takeover the government wants.

[KneelandBobDylan]

No, you're the only person who mentioned cost.

I'm saying, what's so bad about it being developed?

Cost, for one.

I am sure it costs less than this healthcare takeover the government wants.

Maybe, but the "health care takeover the government wants" might actually work....where as this.....

[killeverything]

Wasn't this something the Reagan administration used to bullshit the Russians into overspending and thus brought about the collapse of the Soviet Union?

Yep and the Reagan Administration pumped trillions into it.

I thought that China and the US enemies were against the development. Like the Cold War, they would up their missle production in response. I coulda swore I'd read something along those lines.

[lerxstcat]

Maybe, but the "health care takeover the government wants" might actually work....where as this.....

Well, it DID work. It shot down the targeted missile. Granted I would say that land-based lasers would be more feasible since it requires so much chemical fuel that a modified 747 can only hold several rounds.

But directed energy weapons are going to be the next big future development, and we need to develop them at least as fast as the next guy or we will be at a huge military disadvantage.

Also, directed energy weapons might be a good way of dealing with incoming near-Earth objects like comets and asteroids. Frankly I think that would be a better direction to spend money towards.

Because it doesn't matter what we're doing down here, if a big asteroid hits us we are all fucked, probably extinct. They're finding more and more of them every year.

[KneelandBobDylan]

Maybe, but the "health care takeover the government wants" might actually work....where as this.....

Well, it DID work. It shot down the targeted missile. Granted I would say that land-based lasers would be more feasible since it requires so much chemical fuel that a modified 747 can only hold several rounds.

But directed energy weapons are going to be the next big future development, and we need to develop them at least as fast as the next guy or we will be at a huge military disadvantage.

Also, directed energy weapons might be a good way of dealing with incoming near-Earth objects like comets and asteroids. Frankly I think that would be a better direction to spend money towards.

Because it doesn't matter what we're doing down here, if a big asteroid hits us we are all fucked, probably extinct. They're finding more and more of them every year.

Nice, it shot down a missile. The only thing is, if someone launches on us, it's going to be more than one. A LOT more.

I find it funny that righties are so worried about the deficit (now), but anything the military-industrial complex marches out gives them wood, regardless of cost.

[lerxstcat]

Maybe, but the "health care takeover the government wants" might actually work....where as this.....

Well, it DID work. It shot down the targeted missile. Granted I would say that land-based lasers would be more feasible since it requires so much chemical fuel that a modified 747 can only hold several rounds.

But directed energy weapons are going to be the next big future development, and we need to develop them at least as fast as the next guy or we will be at a huge military disadvantage.

Also, directed energy weapons might be a good way of dealing with incoming near-Earth objects like comets and asteroids. Frankly I think that would be a better direction to spend money towards.

Because it doesn't matter what we're doing down here, if a big asteroid hits us we are all fucked, probably extinct. They're finding more and more of them every year.

Nice, it shot down a missile. The only thing is, if someone launches on us, it's going to be more than one. A LOT more.

I find it funny that righties are so worried about the deficit (now), but anything the military-industrial complex marches out gives them wood, regardless of cost.

Well, I had a conversion about a year ago, haven't really been a rightie for at least that long. In fact, from 1976 to now, the ONLY GOP I ever voted for was Bush in 2004. Jimmy Carter through Al Gore all got my vote.

As for the laser thing, again, I said land-basd would be better because the weapon could have plenty of fuel for plenty of shots. That being the case, and building a number of lasers, you could shoot down a lot of missiles.

And also, the potential for asteroid deflection or destruction should not be overlooked. If we found a dinosaur-killer asteroid on a collission course with Earth, wouldn't you like for us to have a way to destroy it or deflect it? We are only now becoming aware that there are a shitload more of these things whizzing by us in space than we thought before.

It might even factor into why modern man has existed in our present form for over 100,000 years, yet civilization - as far as WE know - has only been around around 5,000 years.

So yeah, i think the ability to stop a big rock from extincting us, or at least putting us back into the Stone Age, should be a priority.