Back when Ronald Reagan first proposed his missile defense shield program, which some later called "Star Wars," a number of prominent scientists and space technicians said, quite simply, "It will never work." So far, it hasn't. We've poured billions and billions of dollars into it and it not only hasn't worked, it hasn't even yielded a reason to think it might someday work. The folks behind it — who in most cases have been paid quite well over the years and seem to consider that aspect of the project a success — have even tried rigging the tests to get a positive result and even the rigged outcomes aren't particularly encouraging.
The latest test was yet another fiasco. They couldn't even get the target missile in position, let alone send an interceptor missile to take it out. The people behind it are trying to spin this as proof that we really, really need the missile defense shield program. The new logic goes something like this: The fact that we can't get a target missile into the right position proves that the enemy might not get their real missiles into the right place and they might threaten an unintended target…so to protect that unintended target, we must have a working missile defense shield program.
It's not unlike the logic of The Surge: If violence in Iraq goes down, it proves The Surge is working because it's bringing down the level of violence. And if violence in Iraq goes up, it proves The Surge is working because it's drawing out the violent elements. The important thing is not to succeed. It's to never admit someone had a bad idea.