The question of countermeasures
•Proponents
–The nations that we face as threats do not possess the ability to produce countermeasures complex enough to deceive our defenses
•Must keep in mind who it is we are defending against (North Korea’s economic resources; sophistication of Soviet Union)
•We have prepared for countermeasures which are far more complex than anything the offense could use
•Opponents
–Too many unknowns
•BMD program cannot be pushed forward before we understand how to deal with the countermeasures of the offense
•We do not yet know what countermeasures are within the technological capabilities of the threatening nuclear states, nor how effective our program would be in defending against them
–Countermeasures
–
•
–
**Transition here to public opinion by talking about how both sides use political rhetoric to advance their claims.  Public opinion formed in part by which camps they encounter first.