Ronald Reagan’s famous star wars initiative has a sequel in this political campaign and in the final act of Bill Clinton’s presidency. Son of Star Wars is a smaller weapons shield designed to protect Americans from missile attacks from the so-called rogue states like North Korea and Iran.
Like the original, it’s spawned a box office bonanza for defense contractors and politicians and lobbyists even though the system has yet to be proven and most scientists don’t think it could ever work reliably. And also like version one, the new star wars could set off another new arms race with Russia and China, even with Bill Clinton’s promises the technology wouldn’t be aimed at them. So how did a Cold War technology and a Cold War ideology get to be center stage in the first campaign of a new century? Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back or Phantom Menace?
(Hosted by Christopher Lydon)
Guests:
Ted Postal
Bill Hartung
Brian Kennedy.