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Ear to the Ground

West Virginia Republican Wants 1,000 Sky Lasers

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Posted on Oct 13, 2010
Flickr / Douglas Muth (CC-BY-SA)

Aspiring senator John Raese has said some strange things, but it’s hard to top “We need 1,000 laser systems put in the sky and we need it right now. That is [of] paramount importance.” Raese is so worried about nuclear attack, you see, he would like to deploy “right now” a technology that probably won’t be workable for at least 20 years.

First Read via Gawker:

Laser-based technology has been long discussed as a promising method for deterring missiles, but experts say that components of a system like the one Raese described are in the infant stages of research and development and would require the negotiation of staggeringly complex international treaties.

Riki Ellison, the chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, said that Raese appeared to be referring to DPALs (diode pumped alkali lasers), which have shown great promise in the field of missile defense but - at least at current funding levels for the development of such programs - could take two decades to develop. He said that the development of DPAL technology would be accelerated by Raese’s proposed budget infusion (the Obama administration recently reduced funding for the Missile Defense Agency). But, he added, deploying that technology in space would require the negotiation of a treaty among world powers.

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By christian96, October 21, 2010 at 12:14 pm Link to this comment

AmishEcstasy——-Oil companies and big pharmaceutical outfits are part of the industrial/
military complex.  Wait until you see the
industrial/military complex on the rise in the
European Union.  It will make ours look like
Mickey Mouse.

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By oldephartte, October 19, 2010 at 4:18 pm Link to this comment

Everybody thinks Star Wars was the first ‘pie in the sky’ missile interceptor program.
Boeing F-99/IM-69/IM-99/CIM-10 Bomarc
http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-10.html
The warhead was a small nuclear bomb. American servicemen stationed in Goose Bay leaked that the Prime Minister - Diefenbaker - had reneged on a promise not to allow nuclear weapons on Canadian soil ( who wants to be a target ? ).
Next election he was history.
What is sometimes missed is that this system never worked - and it supplanted development of the British/Canadian A.V.Roe ‘Arrow’ which itself would carry 2, hit 70,000 ft and sprint at Mach 2.8….without its proper engines finishing development ! Specs were kept secret and GE Turbofans provided test beds for the airframes completed for testing. Unhappily, it embarrassed U.S. facilities which could not match specifications and was killed politically after a fly-by of a U.S. air base revealed its capabilities.
A movie was made about that project and aired on Canadian TV.

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Napolean DoneHisPart's avatar

By Napolean DoneHisPart, October 15, 2010 at 11:15 am Link to this comment

Only racists would vote for this racist, upper crusty ‘pedigreed’ yokel.  Typical Fat Cat wanting to keep the status quo…

http://therealnews.com/t2/component/seyret/?task=videodirectlink&id=7974

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By AmishEcstasy, October 15, 2010 at 5:13 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

ahhhh yes the Military Industrial Complex makes the oil companies and the big pharmaceutical outfits look like pikers!

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By Randy, October 14, 2010 at 6:44 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I hope the enemy doesn’t figure out if the incoming is
reflective lasers won’t kill it. We use Pepto here at
GE to keep areas protected while laser burning parts.
The white reflects most of the energy. Don’t tell
anyone…

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By Inherit The Wind, October 14, 2010 at 7:05 am Link to this comment

It’s those coal-fired lasers…no electricity needed!

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By christian96, October 13, 2010 at 9:20 pm Link to this comment

I was raised in a coal mining community in West
Virginia but I don’t know this fellow.  I’ve been
away from West Virginia for years and haven’t kept
up with politics in the state.  I do know at one
time West Virginia was known as one of the most
corrupt political states in America.  I’d be interested to know who is going to make money
off these lasers and how much did they contribute
to this fellow’s campaign?  Doesn’t it always go
back to the money and that’s not only in America.
That’s true in every country on the planet. I’ll
have to check with some of my friends to find out
more about this fellow.

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By purplewolf, October 13, 2010 at 9:19 pm Link to this comment

“We’re are sitting with the “ONLY” technology in the world and it’s laser technology.

How do you know something is a lie? When the words: only, all, each, never or every appears in the dialog. This smacks of Reagan’s Star Wars defense program. And it has to be done now! Much like the Bush bailouts in September 2008 and followed up after he left office. That also had to be done now! Haste makes waste, especially when it comes to the Repug’s yelling the sky is falling syndrome.

If he needs and wants this so badly, ask yourself, how much money did he get from the MIC and snake oil salespeople/owners like Dicko Cheney? And if he thinks HE needs it right now, even though this technology is no where near ready,and the cost is astronomical, I suggest that John Raese pay for all the expenses out of his own money period.

What is it with the repugs, they are delusional, paranoid and are becoming more mentally unstable by the minute. From what he is spouting, he needs to be put back on his meds and escorted off of the political payrolls, with no benefits or other cost of living monies and NO UNEMPLOYMENT, as repugs don’t believe in “entitlements” except when it comes to them. In the real work world, he would have never been hired in the first place and if he had been, the person who hired him would be fired right alongside of John.

Just what we need, more Weapons of Mass Destruction that some psycho repug/t.p.er with their finger in the trigger.

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By Inherit The Wind, October 13, 2010 at 7:13 pm Link to this comment

It’s all part of the plan: To make Sarah Palin look smart and educated!

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