US, Czech Republic sign defense agreement

[SirKodiak]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gL5oQoIDzcGtENsih2jr24j6DDMwD91PU0EO2
from the article:

Shortly after the treaty was signed, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Moscow would be forced to initiate a military response if the deal goes ahead.

If the agreement is ratified, "we will be forced to react not with diplomatic, but with military-technical methods," the Foreign Ministry statement said. It did not give specifics of what the response would entail. In February, then-President Vladimir Putin said that if the plan advances, Russia could aim missiles toward prospective missile defense sites and deploy missiles in the Baltic Sea region, which borders Poland.

[Arctic Blast]

Does anyone actually still believe in SDI? Really? Are we going to keep throwing trillions of dollars down this well?

[robinhoodnik]

I know, especially when my helium balloon catapult idea is similarly priced, but sooooo much simpler to implement.

[robinhoodnik]

The balloons also have the capacity to carry nitrous oxide for a chemical response.

[Arctic Blast]

A very nice feature, to be sure! What if I wanted to go with simple water balloons, for a crowd control response? Can your balloons handle a liquid?

[beerchaser]

I would not be surprised if SDI is already much further along than any of us could possibly know.

However, I'd greatly prefer not to ever have to find out for sure.

[RedsoxRockies]

Just what we need, a war with russia

[robinhoodnik]

A very nice feature, to be sure! What if I wanted to go with simple water balloons, for a crowd control response? Can your balloons handle a liquid?

Ideally, they'd be used in concert. first a volley of helium, then we hit 'em hard with the nitrous, and while they're all laughing like mad little chipmunks, we sneak in and steal their flag!

[shepster]

WTF
And just who would we defend Czec from?
So as a defence agreament is it a two way street?

[Arctic Blast]

Just what we need, a war with russia

I wouldn't worry too much about that. Russia's been flexing her muscles for the past couple years, now that their previously decimated economy is flush with oil money, but their military is still an absolute shambles. Their fleet is a rusted out mess, for the most part, and a lot of their vehicles and aircraft have fallen in to a state of disrepair due to lack of maintenance. However, Russia DOES have sort of an 'historical paranoia' about a need for a buffer zone, which isn't completely baseless, considering the number of times they've been attacked, which is why they see any perceived Western incursion in to that zone as a problem, but I think the saber rattling has a lot more to do with announcing to the world that "Hey, at least to some extent, we're back!"

As for SDI...it's POSSIBLE that, yeah, it has advanced substantially, but since laser tech, satellite tech and missile tech hasn't gone through any major quantum leaps in the past 10 years, it's very unlikely. Remember...hitting a ballistic missile going 5-6 times the speed of sound with an interceptor rocket going almost as fast requires INSANE levels of accuracy.

[Coach Owens]

I wouldn't worry too much about that. Russia's been flexing her muscles for the past couple years, now that their previously decimated economy is flush with oil money, but their military is still an absolute shambles. Their fleet is a rusted out mess, for the most part, and a lot of their vehicles and aircraft have fallen in to a state of disrepair due to lack of maintenance. However, Russia DOES have sort of an 'historical paranoia' about a need for a buffer zone, which isn't completely baseless, considering the number of times they've been attacked, which is why they see any perceived Western incursion in to that zone as a problem, but I think the saber rattling has a lot more to do with announcing to the world that "Hey, at least to some extent, we're back!"

As for SDI...it's POSSIBLE that, yeah, it has advanced substantially, but since laser tech, satellite tech and missile tech hasn't gone through any major quantum leaps in the past 10 years, it's very unlikely. Remember...hitting a ballistic missile going 5-6 times the speed of sound with an interceptor rocket going almost as fast requires INSANE levels of accuracy.

Why would they be afraid of us attacking them? We've never invaded another country to take it over.

[robinhoodnik]

Czechoslovakia is right in their back yard. We weren't too thrilled with Russian missiles going into ours in the '60's (Cuba). It's more about projected power I'd imagine. That country was for all intents and purposes part of Russia until perestroika. The only real fictional example I can give you is say Puerto Rico broke off relations with the U.S., and Russia decided to become their new protector, promised to arm them for "defense" from a hypothetical enemy, let's say the U.S.. I doubt there'd be much happy talk in Washington.

[RedsoxRockies]

Czechoslovakia is right in their back yard. We weren't too thrilled with Russian missiles going into ours in the '60's (Cuba). It's more about projected power I'd imagine. That country was for all intents and purposes part of Russia until perestroika. The only real fictional example I can give you is say Puerto Rico broke off relations with the U.S., and Russia decided to become their new protector, promised to arm them for "defense" from a hypothetical enemy, let's say the U.S.. I doubt there'd be much happy talk in Washington.

Chechoslovakia does not exist anymore:D

[robinhoodnik]

Chechoslovakia does not exist anymore:D

I'm sorry, the remains of the country once known as Czechoslovakia.:D
Stop making me type Czechoslovakia!

[Arctic Blast]

Why would they be afraid of us attacking them? We've never invaded another country to take it over.

The Russians have not been attacked by the US on its' own, but every OTHER time there's been a major Western power, they have. Napoleon attacked them, ALL of the Western powers joined up and attacked the Bolsheviks in 1919 after the Communist Revolution, Germany attacked them. Now they see US troops popping up in Central European nations (the 'Stans) that used to be part of their territory. They see Poland trying to forge new links with the West. They see Turkey trying to join the EU. And now, they see US positions possibly being established in the Czech Republic. All of that historical anxiety comes flooding back. It's not rational, but it's there.

[ohms_law]

Yea... sadly, the Russians have some **** good reasons to be as paranoid as they are.

[Arctic Blast]

It doesn't hurt the old paranoia level to have lived for several generations under a dictatorship that, if they even suspected you MIGHT have done something they considered wrong, would vanish you in to the night, never to be seen again.

[ohms_law]

definitely