this post was submitted on 20 May 2025
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40 years later and we're back to Ronnie's Star Wars all over again.

Update: $25B to design the system??? No AI?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-golden-dome-25-billion-dollar-missile-defense/

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[–] Boddhisatva@lemmy.world 6 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

Trump's Golden Dome idea is impossible. The tech and resources to defend even the contiguous 48 states against even North Korea's level of ICBM capabilities does not exist.

The truth is that the whole program is intended to pour federal money into the hands of the wealthy. In fact, Musk already has the lead in providing the system as of this April 17th article from Reuters. And the icing on the cake is this.

In an unusual twist, SpaceX has proposed setting up its role in Golden Dome as a "subscription service" in which the government would pay for access to the technology, rather than own the system outright.

[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago

If you gotta pay a 3rd party to keep it on, why couldn't another 3rd party pay to turn it off?

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 2 points 5 hours ago

Are we finally giving a defence system to Palestine?

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 66 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

I’m sure the ten million people losing healthcare are very happy their taxes will go toward enriching defense contractors instead

[–] d00phy@lemmy.world 9 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Especially given there’s absolutely no way in Hell $175b will cover a fraction of the cost of such a defense system. They will have lost health insurance in exchange for a small piece of vaporware.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago

I haven’t heard of any details yet and wouldn’t be surprised if there are none

Most of us reading the comparison to Iron Dome will think of multiple interconnected layered weapons systems protecting the entire country, while having the intelligence to use cheap plentiful interceptors where possible. Not only is it ridiculous to expect that so cheaply, but we can’t even seem to account for Chinese “weather balloons” crossing our airspace.

It’s possible they will spend that money on the infrastructure to have more detailed live knowledge of the entire airspace, including low and slow drones, so that it’s possible to react. Not likely though, that’s not flashy enough.

That $175B is probably just meant to enrich military contractors, but in case there’s anything real to it …… $175B can buy several Patriot missile batteries (which I believe is one of the weapons systems integrated into Iron Dome) to be permanently installed near major cities. Done. Declare victory. Somehow tie it back to Joe Biden.

[–] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 51 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

The Soviet Union collapsed in good part because it bankrupted itself trying to catch up with the Star Wars program, which was not even real.

[–] GuyFawkes@midwest.social 16 points 17 hours ago

And here we’re just trying to catch up to that 0% billionaire tax rate.

Universal healthcare? Can’t afford it! But this….

[–] MisterCurtis@lemmy.world 26 points 16 hours ago

I bet he thinks they'll be building an actual dome.

[–] Noite_Etion@lemmy.world 20 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Swamp drained - No. Wall built - No. Mexico paying - No.

Im sure it will work this time.

[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 6 points 13 hours ago

The point isn't to actually build the thing, the point is to send government money over to military contractor friends.

[–] the_q@lemm.ee 7 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

True, but we'll still pay for the attempt.

[–] Noite_Etion@lemmy.world 6 points 14 hours ago

What's worse is I doubt even half the money will be used on the project itself, it will just be pocketed by Trump's mates.

You're just paying for Yachts and Mansions.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 29 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Military officials said at the time that they hadn't expressed a need for such a comprehensive shield to defend the U.S., while critics noted the U.S. wasn't under threat from its neighbors, Canada and Mexico

Now we know why he started shit with Canada!

[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 15 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

"Oh shit, if you rape your neighbours, they can fight back? Gotta get working on close air defense ASAP!"

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

Nothing will meaningfully improve until the rich fear for their lives

[–] SnarkoPolo@lemm.ee 9 points 14 hours ago

Been there, done that. Remember Reagan's bright shiny "Star Wars" that was going to end world leftism?

[–] GuyFawkes@midwest.social 23 points 17 hours ago

Based on the headline I thought I was clicking into The Onion. Fuck this timeline.

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 11 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Does the plan involve every American billionaire being paid to provide everyone with a golden shower

[–] TheCriticalMember@aussie.zone 4 points 15 hours ago

Yes, but you'll have to pay for the shower. Otherwise it's too much like getting something for free and that's commie bullshit.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 20 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (2 children)

So just fuck Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, etc.

[–] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 24 points 18 hours ago (2 children)
[–] oxysis@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 17 hours ago

I think they are just a time traveler who hasn’t quite caught up with all the news yet, give them time

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 2 points 16 hours ago
[–] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 12 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Cuba is not a part of the US

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 4 points 16 hours ago

Oops. Fixed.

[–] Zedd_Prophecy@lemmy.world 13 points 17 hours ago (3 children)

This has zero chance of working.... Kinda like the wall.

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 2 points 5 hours ago

Oh. It'll work. Tax payers dollars will flow into the pockets of Trump's billionaires. That's the only goal here. It worked last time for the wall too. The intended mission was totally accomplished

[–] Goodmorningsunshine@lemmy.world 7 points 15 hours ago

It has every chance of working exactly the way the wall did since of course all it's just a money grift.

[–] MuskyMelon@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago

Just 175B into a selected few pockets.

[–] Goodmorningsunshine@lemmy.world 5 points 15 hours ago

Oh good, another $100+ billion of tax payer money funneled to himself and Putin.

[–] PhatalFlaw@lemmy.world 7 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

More concepts of a plan than a real plan

[–] MuskyMelon@lemmy.world 2 points 15 hours ago

But the money will be real... Into someone's pockets

[–] 7112@lemmy.world 7 points 17 hours ago

So it's just a combover?

[–] monogram@feddit.nl 5 points 17 hours ago

War is how you stay elected.

[–] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 6 points 17 hours ago

This shit is literally some kind of "Canadian Bacon" bizarro rat fuck timeline.

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 6 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Gold would make a terrible dome.

[–] PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml 0 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Why do you say that? It's a metal that can be hammered extremely thinly, gold leaf etc.

[–] TheLowestStone@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Gold leaf isn't going to stop a missile.

[–] PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 hours ago

Neither is this boon dongle, just like "star wars" before it.

[–] WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 18 hours ago

Oh goody goody. /s

[–] untakenusername@sh.itjust.works 0 points 15 hours ago

This honestly isn't that bad of an idea, but theres much more pressing issues than this