Jan Smith makes an interesting point on the Heritage Foundation’s Foundry Blog: Recent polls have shown that the majority of Americans do not favor spending a couple billion more dollars on the “Cash for Clunkers” program, which benefits very few.
By contrast, missile defense, a program that would benefit all Americans and our troops and allies overseas, has the support of 78% of Americans and in some polls near 90%; but funding is now being cut by $1.4 billion, with additional cuts down the road a real possibility — unless there is substantial pushback.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist — or even an auto mechanic – to see that this doesn’t add up. With the threat from rogue regimes such as North Korea and Iran increasing, with Pakistan swaying on a high wire, and with Russian subs cruising off our coasts, wouldn’t it be nice to know we’re putting in place a comprehensive, layered system (i.e. including space-based interceptors) that could stop missiles from reaching their intended victims — including those intended victims driving shiny new cars with better gas mileage and lower carbon footprints?