The bad guys would come and take it all from us?

Yuh think? What bad guys? The only invasion we've ever had to fight off was the British in 1812 and a drive-by by Pancho Villa.

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"Hey, where's Cricket?" - Kristi Noem's daughter.

Betcha it ain't a done deal.

Easier to hit your own test missile.

Mostly true, with some dependency on the dynamics and signature of the enemy's missile.

I'm surprised this was announced as a first, and was surprised the test was announced on CNN before it was conducted.

Just think -- if the test had failed, the world would know about. Enemies would be emboldened to think their ICBMs could get through, and Americans would be shitting bricks.

I doubt we would have announced it as a first unless we were close to 100% assured of success, which could only happen if built on previous (but secret) successes. Part of the rationale for the timing of the current (public) test seems to be putting Kim Jong Un on notice that he's wasting his money to continue a missile program, as well as alleviate some of the world's concern that, despite Trump's incompetent saber-rattling, we do have a backup plan.

As far as Star Wars goes, some of the earlier proving ground came via Patriot missiles in Israel shooting down Iraqi SCUDs. We would not currently have what we have without all the baby steps before us.

We know the signatures of NK missiles, lotsa data good signatures who you foolin?

Tee's right.  The launch signature is not the same as the reentry signature.  We haven't seen any real data on NK reentry vehicles. 

Also, as an example of biasing the test -  for the early thaad flights prior to launching the target vehicle  the reentry vehicle was pre-heated to assist with the interceptor kill vehicle acquisition.  That missile has matured and that isn't necessary any longer, but when testing there is always more control by definition.  >>> In a war-time event Murphy is always present. 

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If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD WAS MUSIC - KV

So you 're saying we only tracked the launch, not reentry? Uh huh

We may have known the exact launch location, but don't know much about the intended target. Therefore, we can't estimate much about its cone of error. They may also have been simply demonstrating range, with a simple elliptical downward trajectory, and not any evasive maneuverability on the way down (which I would speculate NK can't do at this point.)

To my other point, I'm still very surprised we'd announce this in advance if it truly were a first test. On the other hand, I'm not sure anyone besides the Ruskies have any capability to determine whether we told the truth about the success or not. So we could just say it works and hope that at least dissuades KJU from wasting more money.

When fishing guides second guess aeronautical engineers?

They haven't demonstrated their reentry huck and jive on these launches because everyone's is classified. See RJ above; he's also an engineer.

This is the entire problem with the crew that elected Trump. Know what you know and also know what the fuck you don't know.

So you are the only smart one here? Thats laughable,go back to your manual page 2 paragraph 3 subset c to look for your programmed response. Same could be said about you smug progs who are whores to the degree, get out a bit,breathe some fresh air and possibly your brain might accept the fact you aint the only guy who can cipher

I knew it. Another idiot who thinks you can't learn anything from books.

Who do you think designed your car, bumrush? Your boat motor? Your GPS? Engineers like me. Not your pal Bubba and his sandblaster and welder.

Unless you like to wear skins and hunt with a bow, we own you, mofo. When I tell you how to fish you can call me out, but I ain't gonna do that see. Why? Because I know what I know and what I don't know.

Again, shit like this explains Trump.

As I said your ignorance is supported by your arrogance,anyone with math skills can figure trajectories
Pat all yourselves on the collective backs, its rocket science right?

Actually it's quite a bit of work to figger trajectories if you take everything into account.

Rocket thrust, decreasing fuel mass, varying gravity, earth's rotation, air resistance. It's not the same as physics I ballistics. You must use numerical methods.

Bamboo is literally a rocket scientist. I know this for a fact.

Your original statement could be interpreted in at least three ways:

1) Imagine if we (had already) spent that money on healthcare INSTEAD of defense

2) Imagine if we (had already) spent that money on healthcare IN ADDITION TO defense

3) Imagine if we were to (future) spend that equivalent money on healthcare

The results could be (or could have been):

1) We (and most of our allies) would have little defense. Although we might not have been invaded, allies might have been.

2) We would be broke. But have fewer health issues to need money for.

3) Because we are $20T in debt and healthcare is already 1/6 of our total economy, we'd have to make some tough choices. See #1 about defending allies.

With Putin getting wacky and China getting filthy rich it would be careless to not keep our defenses top-notch.

Constitutionally, the preamble's "provide for the common defense" is a lot more explicit about intent than "promote the general welfare."

For an armchair historian, I'm surprised you missed the fact that during WW II, the Imperial Japanese Army took control of two of the westernmost Aleutian Islands - Attu and Kiska, and also attacked the American base at Dutch Harbor by air. Don't forget the German U-boats off the coast of NC either. Pearl Harbor and 9/11 count in my book too.

Don't we spend more on defence than the next 10 or so countries combined? My point is that we spare no expense on the military industrial complex, but claim poverty when it comes to wellness, much to our peril.

I'll concede the Aleutian islands, but the U Boat menace and the other attacks you list were not "invasions".

Do you think a foreign enemy could physically hold significant geography in the lower 48?

We will perish under the weight of our own feckless vanity long before we're defeated militarily.

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"Hey, where's Cricket?" - Kristi Noem's daughter.

Over the last eight years, how much did Obama cut military spending?

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I was right.