Kucinich On House Floor: NMD Is A Failure

[eridani]

Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) gave the following speech today on the House floor on Canada’s decision to opt out of the National Missile Defense(NMD) being advocated by the Administration:

“Canada has officially opted out of the laughably named National Missile Defense System. We should take a lesson from our neighbors. They knew the NMD has a terrible record; 10 highly artificial and carefully scripted flight intercept tests, only five resulting in hits. One hit occurred when the equivalent of an electronic "hit me'' sign was put on a supposed attack missile.

“The new booster rocket for the kill vehicle has a one-in-three success rate. That is a one-in-three chance of even getting off the ground. The Pentagon canceled nine of the original 20 tests to focus on building the system instead of testing it.

“Today, the NMD benefits no one except a few contractors and their patrons. Meanwhile, the Canadians chose not to buy a lemon. Here we plant a lemon grove and then franchise lemonade stands.”

[goodhue]

1. excellent

link?

[Siyahamba]

2. President Kucinich would do wonders repairing US-Canada relations

[Mairead]

4. Pity there isn't going to be a President Kucinich

because there aren't enough people willing to do the work that's needed.

Saddening--and sad--but true.

[Siyahamba]

6. So, better to give up and sit back and let the DLC decide?

Sorry, even if it's futile, I'm doing to do what I can.

[Mairead]

7. Take a reality pill please.

Instead of 'doing what you can', why not do what's needed? I didn't see you respond to Genius's 'let's get started' posts, nor have you responded to mine.

I'm sorry to be harsh, but we need to make up fewer stories in our heads. We did that last time--yes, I did it too--and look where it didn't get us.

This time, let's be grown-ups and either do the job that must be done or accept that we don't have it in us.

[Siyahamba]

8. self delete

forget it.

[Mairead]

10. No, *don't* forget it, dammit! If you want to see DK in the WH in '08

then sign up to work with other people on it in a coordinated, planned way. As a project.

We must stop pretending to ourselves that we can make things happen by donating fifty or a hundred bucks and wishing real hard. It takes more than that!

The guys who'd sooner see us dead than have pro-working-people policies made law--they're not just sitting around wishing! They work on it every single day, and they've made sure that we have to pay their salaries while they do it, too!

If we want something to happen, the very best way to make sure it doesn't happen is to tell ourselves that there are plenty other people ready to do the actual work, so we can just donate some money and wish real hard. Because there aren't. And they won't. Because they're all saying the same damned thing!

Big things get done only when they are so important that there are people tripping over one another, eager to be involved.

[Siyahamba]

11. Okay...

I've been getting mixed messages.

I came across this group not too long ago. That's why I didn't take part in the older threads. The first reply I got seemed to say that there is no way Dennis will ever be president because no one can do what is required.

And now you're saying that I should work on it. That's what I was planning to do in the first place. I'm sorry, I haven't been involved in his previous campaign. I don't know the whole history of his previous campaign and the problems therein.

From the sound of it, we're on the same side after all. I'd like to help, if you'll bear with a new person coming on board.

[Mairead]

12. Not "no one can", but rather "no one will". We can. But we need 'will'.

And we seem to be a little short on 'will' right now. But maybe you'll be the one who lights the fire and gets it all started!

Have you read the thread Genius started whose title begins "Now would be a good time...."? Start with that, and decide where you want to go from there.

Welcome aboard.

[elshiva]

3. Great! This is one of his best issues.

[LWolf]

5. US = Lemonade Franchise, lol

This statement could be applied to our national elections, as well.

It needs a graphic logo. :D

[Mairead]

9. What am I missing? It seemed like a response that was a little off

sort of like Mark Twain's example of lightning vs ligntning bug.

I think it would have been closer to the mark had he said something like 'the Canucks won't buy that lemon, but the people in charge here tell us that it's really sweet. Well I'm sorry, but my lips pucker up just thinking about how sour that lemon is!'

[genius]

13. Is this up at his site. Or do you have another link?

Dennis is awesome.