Ballistic Missile Defense at the Global, State, and Local Levels free essay sample

An analysis at the global, state, and local levels of the US decision to move forward with a ballistic missile defense system, with background, reactions of other countries, ideologies, and policies. This paper examines the US decision to move forward with a ballistic missile defense system. The author gives a background on the history and technology of ballistic missile defense and then examines the reactions of other countries to the American missile defense decision. Also discussed are the ideological and moral support for missile defense at the state level. Finally, missile defense is analyzed as a political issue in relation to the 2000 elections and as an economic issue for defense contractors and certain parts of the country that stand to gain business from an expanded missile defense.? From the Paper: On March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan began one of the most important legacies of the last stage of the Cold War with a speech outlining his Strategic Defense Initiative. We will write a custom essay sample on Ballistic Missile Defense at the Global, State, and Local Levels or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Star Wars program, as it came to be known, immediately created tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as between the US and its allies, and sparked debate over the feasibility, cost, benefits, and consequences of ballistic missile defense (BMD). This debate may not have mattered much when missile defense technology was too immature to make deployment practical or even possible. However, seventeen years later, technology has advanced to the point where the US must decide now whether it wants missile defense in the future. A decision of this magnitude, involving billions of dollars and potentially billions of lives, must be examined closely at all levels of analysis.? ?