Plans for Missile Defense in Historical Perspective -- Variations on a Theme of American Politics

Since George W. Bush's speech on 1 May 2001, the missile defense debate has gained new momentum. The new administration has decided to start deploying missile defenses as soon as possible & to withdraw from the ABM treaty, even though the attacks of September 11 (2001) had left proponents & opponents fighting about the necessity of missile defense. In retrospect, it is discernible that these debates are hardly linked to changing administrations. They rather depend on societal changes to which administrations have to react. This article takes a general view of the three "Grand Debates" from the Presidents Johnson & Nixon, via Reagan & Clinton to President George W. Bush, depicting several variations the issue has undergone despite basically unchanged arguments on both sides. Adapted from the source document.