Here’s a short list of questions I think the media should be asking about missile defense. If all of the questions can be answered affirmatively, then I say we should go for it:

1. Do we face a credible threat (or anticipate facing one in the near future) that a missile defense system can effectively protect us from?
2. Is a missile defense system the most cost-effective means of addressing that threat?
3. Is there any chance that we can develop an effective missile defense system before those countries we perceive as threats can build weapons that will thwart such a system?
4. If we scrap the ABM treaty in order to research and build a missile defense system, and fail to create an effective system, will the lack of the treaty and the defense system leave us worse off than before?