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E.U. Agrees To Launch Galileo Satellite Location System
waimate writes "The European Union today decided to go ahead with Galileo, the constellation of 30 satellites which will compete with the U.S. GPS system.
The U.S. abolished selective availability three years ago partly to make GPS more useful for all mankind, but also to dissuade other countries from developing their own navigational satellite system, and thus be dependant on the U.S. for both peaceful and military purposes. Since the demise of the Russian GLONASS system, GPS is the only game in town. Evidently recent events make Europe feel less comfortable about such things, and so they're building their own. Good thing for commercialization of space, or bad thing for world peace?"
When the U.S. gets a "monopoly" on something, we seem to have a way of imposing our moral correctness on others. (Lots of foreign aid money, kick-ass military, GPS satellites, etc.)
This, of course, rubs everyone the wrong way and is probably why we are so, um, disliked in many parts of the world.
We have this weird political morality that makes people very uncomfortable. On one hand, we impose Hollywood/TV on the world (OK, "Impose" is the wrong word) and then we also have the high-falutin right-wing christianity twist to what we expect of others. It's more than just that, but that's the gist of it.
Look for more of this. I think it's great for Europe to stretch its legs a bit. Perhaps a streak of independence will help nurse them from the socialism that's dragging their economy down (big unemployment and large upcoming social payouts).
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." - Epictetus
You know, you're right. Europe is our last hope. It really wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to bet on africa or the middle east... Slavery, forced mutilation of women, tribal warfare (oh wait, the tribal warfare part is STILL going on in Europe... or it was until the U.S. bombed the shit out of whatever little dictatorship caused problems the last time). Europeans would make more convincing whiners if the U.S. didn't have to keep stepping in and solving their problems. Bosnia? Kosovo? Ring any bells? And I didn't see the UN doing much either, other than standing around taking notes on "500 got shot, 500 were put into trucks, thye marched another 500 out of town, heard heavy machine gun fire half an hour later". Face it: The U.S. is the sole surviving superpower. The EU, the Chinese, the Russians, and the UN are envious of that. Hence the problems when the U.S. tries to get shit done lately. However, no other country or organisation is stepping up to the plate in terms of "policing the world". I don't like my tax dollars being used for that, but who else is going to it? France? Honestly, if another ethnic "tribal" war erupts in eastern Europe tomorrow, whose troops, whose brothers and fathers, will be there putting the fires out? Big hint: It would not be the UN, and it would not be the EU. Learn to fix your own problems and maybe people would take you more seriously... America the barbaric? Learn to handle your OWN fucking problems, like genocide and ethnic cleansing, THEN come back with this whiny argument. In the mean time, the EU comes across as impotent, useless, and WHINY. Very whiny.
"Unless you want to imply that the USmilitary is going to attack europe to stop them from lauching its satelittes..."
Why not? Look how fast france went from being one of closest allies to our number one enemy. You think george bush would have any reservations about invading france? You think the amrican public would object to invading france? Who would stop us?
We can and will shoot their sattelites down, we can and will bomb the shit out of anybody who stand in the way of total american domination of the world. That's the wolofowitz doctorine go read it.
War is necrophilia.