The wages of appeasement

By Steve McCann

Is ratification of the START Treaty akin to the appeasement reflected by the Munich Pact in 1938? No, it does not arbitrarily divide up a sovereign country in the hope of future peace, but it does reflect the same mindset that justified that process in the minds of those in the 1930's that pined for peace in our time.

President Obama went into the negotiations with the Russians determined to get a Treaty at all costs as did Neville Chamberlain. It was somewhat like a customer going into a car dealership and stating that he would not leave until he bought a new car, as so aptly put by Senator Kyl on the Senate floor.

In that head-long rush to wave a piece of paper in front of the cameras, the President has willingly put in jeopardy the future development of a missile defense system against not only Russia, but countries such as Iran, North Korea or other rogue states that will surely acquire offensive missile capabilities in the future.

There are at present up to 10 Republican Senators willing to sign onto ratification based on a letter from the President stating that the U.S. will still go ahead with a robust missile defense program in clear contradiction of what the Russians claim the Treaty says. A question for these Senators: what has the President, who lied about the Health Care Act, the Stimulus, Guantanamo, Taxes and deficit spending, done in the past week that leads you to believe what he tells you now?

Perhaps a future President will unilaterally opt out of the Treaty and do his sworn duty to protect the citizens of the United States; but those that vote for this START Treaty will jeopardize the security of the country for no good reason except the vanity of the current occupant of the White House.