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Time Magazine
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Senator Markey: Trump's ‘Golden Dome' is Fool's Gold
Announced with characteristic bravado and little grounding in reality, President Donald Trump's so-called " Golden Dome for America" is the latest reincarnation of President Ronald Reagan's ' Star Wars ' fantasy: a constellation of space-based missile interceptors supposedly capable of stopping a nuclear strike from any adversary. President Trump suggests it could protect the U.S. from a nuclear attack. In truth, it will make us poorer, less secure, and more isolated. It's a gold-plated boondoggle that will enrich defense contractors and ignite a new nuclear arms race. Let's be clear: Golden Dome is a trillion-dollar mistake in the making. On Jan. 27, Trump issued an executive order about continuing Reagan's work by developing a 'missile defense shield.' In response, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office issued estimates indicating that even a limited system could cost as much as $542 billion over the next 20 years. And a system to defend against hundreds of missiles from Russia or China would cost much more. My Republican colleague Senator Tim Sheehy from Montana said the quiet part out loud: the system 'will likely cost in the trillions if, and when, Golden Dome is completed.' President Trump has since pitched his Golden Dome as a $175 billion project and has requested an initial $25 billion. But not only does this math not add up, experts say Trump's 'Golden Dome' would be both ineffective and alarmingly easy to defeat. Space-based interceptors would be sitting ducks for anti-satellite weapons. They'd be no match for adversaries who could overwhelm the system by simply building more—and much cheaper—missiles. In fact, Golden Dome would likely push Russia and China to do exactly that: expand their arsenals, reject arms control treaties, and plunge the world into a terrifying new arms race. So instead of making America safer, we'd be inviting catastrophe. And who benefits? Not the American people. Not our troops. Not our allies. The real winners are defense contractors. SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is reportedly a frontrunner for Golden Dome contracts. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is gutting its independent testing office—the very entity that tells us whether these high-priced systems actually work. The office was reportedly targeted specifically to limit scrutiny over Golden Dome, because, according to one official, the program is 'needed to be successful for Mr. Trump.' That's not national security. That's corruption, pure and simple. History should have taught us this lesson. The original Star Wars program burned through $400 billion without producing an effective defense. Forty years later, despite decades of research, technology still can't deliver on the fantasy of a perfect missile shield. Golden Dome is just Star Wars with a shinier name—and a much higher price tag. What's worse, it violates decades of bipartisan policy. Since 1999, Congress has agreed that U.S. missile defenses should only be designed to stop limited threats—like those from North Korea—not the much larger nuclear arsenals of major powers like Russia and China. Golden Dome blows up that carefully drawn line with no plan, no strategy, and no regard for the consequences. Golden Dome is science fiction, not effective missile defense. Systems like Israel's Iron Dome have proven useful against short-range, conventional rockets. But deploying weapons in space to counter hundreds of strategic nuclear missiles is not only impractical—it's dangerous. And no, space-based weapons will not protect us from the types of small drones Ukraine used in its recent Spider's Web attack on Russia. Instead of chasing an impossible dream that risks bankrupting us and destabilizing the world, we should be investing in what actually works: diplomacy, arms control, and smart defense. President Trump says his Golden Dome will 'complete the job' Reagan started. What it will really do is bury arms control, balloon the deficit, and boost the bottom lines of billionaires like Musk. A Golden Dome would be much more effective at wasting taxpayer dollars than countering missile attacks. Let's not trade real security for a golden illusion. We must put a stop to this reckless plan—before it launches America into the next unwinnable nuclear arms race.
Ottawa Citizen
3 days ago
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
Burton and Seaboyer: Canada can do much better than join the 'Golden Dome' defence
Very soon, the Mark Carney government's much-needed investment in Canada's military will require urgent, historic choices regarding defence priorities and generational financial commitments. But as ministers and policymakers dissect options such as buying cripplingly expensive F-35 fighter jets, there is one move they should not make. Article content This spring, the day after King Charles opened Parliament with a speech emphasizing Canadian sovereignty, U.S. President Donald Trump invited Canada to join his proposed 'Golden Dome for America' missile defence system. The president indicated two ways for this to happen: Canada can either become the 51st state (which is a non-starter), or it would have to pony up a staggering $61-billion U.S. (For context, Canada's total 2024-25 military budget is $28.5-billion U.S.) Article content Article content Article content Canada should decline Trump's invitation. Article content Beyond the absurdity of handing such a massive sum to a leader who openly threatens to conquer Canada through economic coercion, the Golden Dome requires technology that does not yet even exist, and which will be extremely difficult to develop. (The system is likely to rely heavily on Elon Musk's SpaceX 'aerial moving target identifier,' a next-gen system that's still under development and would be unlikely to ever reach a deployable stage if Trump cancels Musk's government funding.) Article content Most modern Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles carry 'multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles' (MIRVs), meaning one missile can becomes 12 independent warheads, only one of which is needed to destroy an entire city. So far, no defence system has come close to a 100-per-cent probability of destroying all incoming missiles, especially those with technology that misleads weapon interception systems. Article content Article content Effectively integrating diverse systems — ground-based radars, sea-based assets, air-based sensors, and a new constellation of space-based sensors and interceptors — into a cohesive 'system of systems' is extraordinarily complex. This includes ensuring seamless data fusion, command and control, and communication with near-zero latency. Article content Article content In Israel, the Iron Dome has generally done well with defending a relatively small territory. We have seen in recent days, though, that Iranian missiles are increasingly able to get through the Iron Dome and strike Israeli targets. Defending the entire U.S. (nearly 500 times the size of Israel) presents an immense challenge in terms of the sheer number of sensors and interceptors needed for adequate coverage. One can only imagine the odds of successfully adding Canada's huge land mass to the mix. However, there is huge money at stake for some defence industry companies and significant political benefits, which no doubt fuels the enthusiasm some military experts express for the Golden Dome.
Toronto Sun
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Trump's Golden Dome creates opening for Space Force to gain relevance
Published Jun 09, 2025 • 5 minute read Posters for the proposed Golden Dome for America missile defense shield are displayed before an event with President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Washington. Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / AP (Bloomberg) — Five years after its formation during President Donald Trump's first administration prompted jokes about the Star Trek-style logo and inspired a Netflix Inc. sitcom with Steve Carell, the U.S. Space Force is still looking for respect. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'Many people don't even understand the Space Force is real,' General Michael Guetlein, the agency's vice chief of space operations, told a Washington area conference in March. 'That was a luxury that we had when space wasn't contested. We no longer enjoy that luxury.' America's foes are racing to develop strategic footholds in space, from China's satellite 'dogfighting' operations to Russia's development of nuclear anti-satellite weapons, but the Space Force's supporters say the youngest and smallest U.S. military branch hasn't received the money it needs to counter those threats in the new military space age. The Rodney Dangerfield of the US military seemed to be getting its moment in the spotlight last month, with Trump on May 20 naming Guetlein to be the leader of Golden Dome, the proposed space-based missile defence shield. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The complex project could generate billions of dollars for defence giants and space startups, with the Congressional Budget Office saying the US may have to spend as much as $542 billion over 20 years to develop and launch a network of space-based interceptors. Guetlein is 'a very talented man,' said Trump, who noted his own role in creating the Space Force. The branch, he added, 'has turned out to be a tremendous success.' Trump's missile shield could be the force's ticket to greater relevance, said Peter Hays, professorial lecturer at George Washington University's Space Policy Institute, who likens the force to the puppet Pinocchio aching to outgrow his second-tier status. Golden Dome offers 'a natural war-fighting mission which would make the Space Force a real boy,' Hays said. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. However, just a week and a half after the Guetlein announcement, the administration released the president's budget request, which proposed about $26.3 billion for the Space Force, down from $29.6 billion that former President Joe Biden requested last year. The numbers and allocations for the Space Force could change as the budget process continues to be reviewed in Congress. The force's top military officer has said that tight budgets have hindered the Space Force. 'Despite the dramatic rise in space threats and the increasing importance of space over the last few budget cycles, the Space Force has experienced shrinking resources,' General Chance Saltzman, the force's chief of space operations, told a House subcommittee on May 6. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As the budget battle intensifies, he may have allies on both sides of the aisle. The Space Force's funding is 'totally inadequate,' Maine Senator Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, said at the May 20 hearing. Republican Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed concern about 'our ability to fight and win in space' at a hearing on June 5, adding that the upcoming budget 'may not adequately fund the Space Force.' Tensions with China create another opportunity to get more money. In March, before his confirmation as Air Force Secretary (which includes responsibility for the Space Force), Troy Meink warned senators about 'the rapidly evolving threat from China' and said Space Force 'may require a significant increase in funding and manning' to address it. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Space Force provided a detailed account of its vision with the April 17 publication of a report, 'Space Warfighting: A Framework for Planners,' that 'underscores the critical importance of space superiority,' the force said. Under the framework, the Space Force has the twin goals of making space superiority the service's 'raison d'etre' and making control of space the central foundation of US military power, according to Nayef Al-Rodhan, director of the Geopolitics and Global Futures Department at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. These 'new bold, game-changing missions' will challenge other space powers to respond, he said. The assertion that space is a 'warfighting domain' has critics worried that the US is fueling an arms race. 'We're quickly sliding into a new era in space that is frightening,' said Jessica West, senior researcher at Project Ploughshares, a peace and security research institute in Waterloo, Ontario. The Pentagon is 'definitely shedding any sense of restraint in outer space.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Elaborating on the strategy to fight wars beyond Earth may raise alarms overseas but could help the Space Force at home, said Victoria Samson, chief director for space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation, a think tank in Washington. 'From a DoD perspective, calling something a warfighting domain opens up resources and programs and capabilities and strategies,' she said. Budget constraints, advocates say, undermine the Space Force's ability to create a unified backbone of America's strategic interests in orbit, including satellite tracking, missile warning and GPS networks. RECOMMENDED VIDEO 'Other services have individual bases — you know, single units — that have greater populations than the entire United States Space Force,' said David Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. The budget 'should be probably twice to three times what it currently is.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. With the Trump administration firing everyone from NASA scientists to foreign aid workers, getting a significant increase won't be easy but Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said that space deserves more resources. 'The next and the most important domain of warfare will be the space domain,' he said in March at a gathering of Space Force and Air Force leaders at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. 'So, you're going to see far more investment from this administration into that domain, both offensively and defensively.' Even after his recent feud with Trump, SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk may still be in line to benefit from increased Space Force spending. In April, for instance, SpaceX landed a contract worth an estimated $5.9 billion to launch national security missions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Other space companies like Northrop Grumman Corp. and Rocket Lab should benefit as Space Force looks for faster and cheaper launches. Startups are in the mix, too, said Even Rogers, CEO of True Anomaly, a designer of spacecraft and software systems that raised $260 million in April. 'We really aligned our product road map and our investment strategy as a business to the most pressing needs of the Space Force,' he said. Guetlein's appointment suggests that the Space Force is likely to play an essential role in Golden Dome, according to Clayton Swope, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'We're going to look a lot to how Space Force buys things and operates them,' he said. Trump's pick of the Space Force general indicates 'that will be the first amongst the different pieces that will have to fit together for Golden Dome to work.' —With assistance from Courtney McBride.
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First Post
25-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
This Week in Explainers: Why did Pakistan's Asim Munir get promoted despite losing to India?
Tensions between India and Pakistan have come to a pause. But Islamabad has received a real drubbing — its airbases have incurred massive damage and its missiles, drones and planes were downed. However, the neighbouring country doesn't see a loss; after all, they promoted their army chief, Asim Munir, to field marshal. Here's this and more in our weekly roundup read more A man carries a portrait of Pakistani army chief General Syed Asim Munir, during a rally to express solidarity with Pakistan's armed forces, in Islamabad. This week, Munir became only the second in the country's history to be elevated to Field Marshal. AFP It's been a busy, busy week in the world of news. A lot has happened in the past seven days, leaving a deep impact on the world. The week gone by began with the sad and shocking news that former US President Joe Biden had been diagnosed with 'aggressive' prostate cancer. The news led many to question — had he been hiding this diagnosis while in the White House? How could it be so severe so quickly? How long did he have? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And talking about American presidents, no news cycle can be complete without Donald Trump. It's been a busy week for the US president — he unveiled the 'Golden Dome for America,' a multilayered defence system, ambushed his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office and escalated his battle with Harvard University. The last seven days has also been noteworthy for the Asian subcontinent. Speculation is swirling that Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus is angry and unhappy at the current situation in the country and is threatening to resign. In the neighbouring country, Pakistan, the army chief General Asim Munir was promoted to the rank of field marshal, making him only the second in the country's history to earn a five-star ranking. In our weekly wrap, we look at all this and more that has unfolded. 1) The week started on a sombre note for the Bidens and the former US president's supporters. He announced that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. His team in a statement said that his prostate cancer is 'characterised by a Gleason score of 9', meaning it is a 'high-grade cancer'. The news led to an outpour of support for the former US president. Biden's former boss, Barack Obama, said that Biden would fight cancer 'with his trademark resolve and grace' while Kamala Harris said that she was 'saddened' to learn of the diagnosis. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The diagnosis also led many to search — what is prostate cancer? What are its symptoms? How serious can it be? If you are asking the same questions, our report has the answers. 2) For many, the big news of the week continues to be Operation Sindoor, the targeted and precise military strikes that India carried out two weeks ago. While hostilities between India and Pakistan have been temporarily paused, details keep emerging. For India, the mission was a success — the military eliminated key terror bases deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It also caused heavy damage to the neighbouring nation's airbases after Islamabad chose to launch drones and missiles at civilian and military infrastructure. One of the biggest triumphs for India during the strikes was the taking down of the Chinese-made PL-15 missile that Islamabad fired towards India. Shortly after that, the intelligence agencies of various countries reached out to New Delhi seeking access to the debris of the missile. Amongst those who urged India for access was the Five Eyes nations as well as France and Japan. But what would they gain out of this? Read here to find out. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan's Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir salutes after laying wreath on the martyrs' monument during a guard of honour ceremony at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. AFP 3) On the topic of Pakistan, here's some interesting news. The country's army chief, General Asim Munir, received a promotion — he was elevated to the rank of field marshal, making him only the second in the country behind Mohammad Ayub Khan to receive the honour. But one can't help note the timing of the elevation. That's because promotions and an honour such as field marshal is normally bestowed upon when a general leads his country to victory in a war. But that's not the case for Munir, is it? The country received a severe bruising from India during Operation Sindoor — its airbases damaged and its drones and missiles neutralised by India's defence systems. In such circumstances, many wondered why the Shehbaz-Sharif led government chose to elevate Munir. Pakistani watchers also noted that it could be a sign of things to come — after all, the last field marshal of the country carried out a coup and established a military dictatorship. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 4) In this week, Bangladesh has also been in the news — not for a good reason, though. On Thursday (May 22), rumours began to swirl that Muhammad Yunus, the country's interim chief, was thinking of resigning. In fact, many of his advisers rushed to his house that evening to persuade him from stepping down. But what's the reason that the Nobel laureate was considering to put in his papers? Was it the fact that he was receiving intense criticism for not providing a proper roadmap to the elections in the country? Or is it because the tensions with Bangladesh army chief Waker uz-Zaman have further deteriorated? Our report explores the entire situation and what Yunus' resignation would mean for the troubled country. US President Donald Trump announces his plans for the 'Golden Dome,' a national ballistic and cruise missile defence system in the presence of Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office at the White House. AFP 5) When Pakistan rained down drones and missiles on India, it threw light on the country's missile defence systems. And perhaps taking inspiration from that, US President Donald Trump unveiled the concept for what he calls the Golden Dome — a $175 billion sweeping missile defence programme unlike any the United States has attempted before. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The probable weapon is expected to not only protect the country from missile threats but also have space-borne weapons capable of intercepting missiles at various stages of flight. Sounds futuristic and right out of a Star Wars movie, right? Trump doesn't think so. He announced that it would become 'fully operational before the end of my term,' which ends in January 2029. But while Trump envisions a futuristic weapon to protect American soil, it's not going to be easy. In fact, some think it's not possible. Here's more on that here . 6) Donald Trump is often referred to as tariffs man. And after this week, one could also call the US president smackdown man. On Wednesday, the US president laid an ambush for his incoming guest, South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa. The US leader lectured Ramaphosa on false claims that White South African farmers are the victims of a genocide . The meeting was very reminiscent of Trump's confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with many noting that Ramaphosa kept his cool and refrained from being 'Zelensky-ed'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But what went down in the Oval Office between Trump and Ramaphosa? Read on to find out. 7) While we are on the topic of Trump, his administration on Thursday escalated their battle with Harvard University. The US Department of Homeland Security announced that it had revoked the ivy League institution's ability to enrol international students, delivering a sharp punishment to it for refusing to bow to the administration's policy demands. This move is a huge blow to foreign students, namely Indians who aspire to graduate from the elite university. It leaves the nearly 788 Indians in limbo , with many scrambling to find a transfer to another university or mulling a return to India. People attend a candlelight vigil at Lafayette Square across from the White House in Washington, DC following a shooting that left two people dead. Elias Rodriguez faces murder and other charges after allegedly gunning down two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. AFP 8) The Israel-Hamas war continues to drag on with no end in sight. And on Wednesday night, the war reverberated loudly outside of Israel when two Israel embassy staffers, who were a couple, were shot dead outside a Jewish museum in Washington, DC. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Police identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim and also have the accused in custody. Identified as 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, he shouted 'free, free Palestine' while he was arrested. Now, investigations into his social media accounts have revealed his ideologies and beliefs. Here's what we found out. That's our reading list of the events from the world this week. If you want to know the latest, you can come back to this page . PS: Matcha, that vibrant green powder, has become all the rage. Many are even replacing their morning coffee with this Japanese drink. But is it a healthier alternative to your cuppa?
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
DOD Responds to South Korea Troops Report: ‘Not True'
The Pentagon played down a report that it is considering reducing U.S. troop numbers in South Korea. "Anyone who's covered the Pentagon knows that we always evaluate force posture," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell posted on X, formerly Twitter. "That said, the U. S. remains firmly committed to the ROK. Our alliance is iron clad. Reports that the DoD will reduce U.S. troops in the Republic of Korea are not true." The comments followed a Wall Street Journal report that one option under consideration in the Pentagon was pulling around 4,500 troops from South Korea and moving them elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region. The report, which cited unnamed officials and a person familiar with the matter, said it was one of the ideas being prepared for consideration by President Donald Trump as part of an informal policy review on tackling North Korea. Department of Defense data shows it had 26,556 personnel in South Korea at the end of 2024. This is a breaking news story. More to follow. Related Articles South Africa's President Ribs Trump Over Qatari Plane In Tense ExchangeArmy Orders Transgender Troops' Records Changed to Reflect Birth Sex OnlyWho Is General Michael Guetlein? Head of Trump's Golden Dome ProjectDonald Trump Gives Timeline, Price for 'Golden Dome for America' 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
