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Navigation Satellites Over Europe
Snags writes "It looks like Europe is getting its own equivalent to WAAS (a set of ground stations and geostationary satellites which relay information to help GPS accuracy in the US). The EGNOS system system is having a base station inaugurated in Langen, Germany this week. The system augments signals from GPS and Russia's Glonass to provide 2-meter accuracy in Europe. This is the first stage of the Galileo system reported earlier, and I'm sure these satellites and base stations will perform the same function once the Galileo constellation is flying."
It would not be good for anyone. Not just Americans. I am very afraid of the twisted logic working on the minds of many American officials. They think that they can enforce anything they want to everybody else , just because they have a bigger army. Things i am afraid are not that simple. EU will not stand silent and be told that can not go into space (or any other bullying US may come up with). The possibility of a future conflict arises quickly.
I would love to argue about how the size an army MANY times in history has proven to be irrelevant, but considering that both US and EU are "nuclear enabled" (TM), it is made clear that none can win is such a case.
I hust hope that this "we are the ones" mentality stops before it is too late.
Thank you.
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If allies don't like the new paradigm of space dominance, said Air Force secretary James Roche, they'll just have to learn to accept it.
Translation:
If allies don't like us invading Poland, they'll just have to learn to accept it.
Strange how they want the rest of the world to just lay down their arms and give up and say "hey use me as a doormat", and at the same time make fun of the belgians and the french.
It won't. Well over 90% of the software industry has no dependence on a particular platform or on selling shrink-wrapped software.
But let's assume you're right (which you aren't). Then so what? If the current big players can't outcompete volunteers, they don't really deserve to live on. And if US software developers can't find a way to compete with cheaper labour (despite having the advantages of being in place, knowing the language and customs, and having a great infrastructure), then their demise is also warranted. You want to get paid more than your competition, you had better be prepared to offer some other incentives in return. Arguing that "but we don't _want_ to compete" is not going to endear you to your prospective customers.
And if OSS shrinks the global market value of the IT industry (which it has no indication of doing; quite the opposite) - again, so what? Less people will find jobs in the industry, and those that do will not be paid as well anymore. Ask around to see what people in other disciplines with a comparable education earn, then ask yourself why you are entitled to a much higher salary. The answer is, you probably aren't.
Quite whining, get off your behind and either retrain to be able to offer real value, or get out of the industry.
Just after reading the various US vs. the rest of world discussions here ...
I think Europe has (doesn't matter on which side you are, but this should be clear) to create new systems which are US-indipendent. Recent events show how important it is to be indipendent, in particular under an economic viewpoint. Just looking at the telco business, I heard for example a few months ago (was it here on slashdot?) that iraq is not going to use the GSM standard for cell phones.
Having then a systems which will be indipendent of GPS at the end will be a great thing, there were already big discussions in Europe about "how precise it really is" and "how its precision can be manipulated by the us". If the system then will be fully civilian, then it will be really cool. I think we will see more and more Europe going in this direction, i.e. trying to get more and more indipendent from the us.
For millions and billions of years, the planet has managet itself just fine. I don't see any reason why it should all of a sudden need the help of some (parasitic?) humans, especially Donald Rumsfeld...
Hell is not other people; it is yourself. - Ludwig Wittgenstein
Did you? I felt great. I love the fact that Bush is a mean, nasty bastard. I want him to lead this world into WW3. It will give us an opportunity to slaughter a lot of people.
-- You see, there would be these conclusions that you could jump to
Oh I am sure it will go down real well at the GOP convention. Platform for a second term? Tax cuts, two more wars (Syria and Iran) and hope nobody notice continued deficits, recession and decline in influence.
Wellcome to the Neocon world. Oderint dum metuant.
The original idea of Galileo was a gambit to get the US to turn off the dithering that reduces the range for civilian uses. Then when the project was set for the big up or down vote the Bushies chose that week to start a trade war with Europe by imposing steel tarifs. So the French got their way and the decision was unexpectedly made to build it.
The suggestion that the US would jam or try to destroy the European GPS system is a ridiculous fantasy of the extreeme right. An attack of that kind would be an act of war. It might not lead to actual war but the consequences would be very serious. The European powers affected would react. There is a lot they could do to impound US assets such as airplanes, it is unlikely that Congress would want to escalate a crisis that had been instigated by the administration. The most likely result is that there would be a humiliating climb down by the US.
I am suprised that in all the anti-French bashing the GOP has got into they have not remembered that France is a terrorist state and has done this sort of thing. The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand was a terrorist act committed by the French secret service. One of the terrorists was living in Florida until recently. If it was not for the US and British the French would be speaking German. On the other hand if it was not for the intervention of the French Navy in Yorktown you all would be speaking English.
The French has been right about Iraq so far though, which is another example of this style of politics. The US has found no difficulty invading, but getting out is starting to look problematic. It does not look as if the Iraqi's are going to choose Chalabi as the replacement for Saddam. Instead the South is more interested in a radical Shite cleric with strong ties to Iran and the North wants independence. The US is currently occupying the middle which is also the part that is in the biggest mess. Meanwhile it has become abundantly clear that the claims of a threat from WMD that Powell told the UN security council were untrue.
The GOP can call this fiasco a rip roaring success if they like. But the result is that the US is committed to occupying the country with several hundred thousand troops for up to a decade while islamic militants take pot shots at them.
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Actually 'blowing-up' foreign countries equipment deliberately would be likely construed as a declaration of war.
This would especially be the case between certain 'western' countries.
Ripping an new rectum in the fabric of spacetime.