Let Europe pay for their own missile defense

The Republicans have criticized Obama's decision to scrap the planned missile defense in Poland and the Czech Republic, saying he has betrayed our "allies" and left them to be gobbled up by the Russian bear. Poland and the Czech Republic are both member states of the European Union. The gross domestic product (GDP) of the EU is $18.1 trillion (2008) versus $1.7 trillion GDP for Russia. The United States GDP by comparison is $14.3 trillion.

To quote George Washington's farewell address,

"Europe has a set of primary interests, which to us have none, or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves, by artificial ties, in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities...

Why forego the advantages of so peculiar a situation? Why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground? Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor, or caprice?"

Considering that each U.S. citizen's share of the national debt is $38,512 (as of today), let Europe pay for their own missile defense.

Out of sight, out of mind

"I note that Jacobson has more combat time than the aggregate for Bush II, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Obama, Biden, Gonzalez, Clinton, Perle, Abrams, Kristol, Feith, Podhoretz, Krauthammer, George Will, Dershowitz, and Gates. These men, if the word is appropriate, killed that kid. Jacobson just caught them in the act."

Fred Reed, referring to Associated Press writer Julie Jacobson. Jacobson captured the image of a Marine dying in combat in Afghanistan. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates criticized AP's decision to publish of the photo.

Out of sight, out of mind.