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Do We Really Need Space Weapons?
tcd004 writes "The U.S. military is developing technology to disable, jam, and even destroy enemy satellites. But are space weapons necessary? No, says Michael Krepon, director of the Stimson Center's Space Security Project. He argues that developing space weapons is a surefire way to launch a new space weapon race.
I will probably be modded to hell for this, but I have always said that as a geek, I 3 War.
It is the only guaranteed way of getting large amounts of money invested in useful tech.
Considering WW2 alone, there were many developments in many many fields.
If you stop space research for a couple of decades, China will own you.
Which may be a good thing, from my perspective.
At least they:
1. Look more peaceful.
2. Have invented the wheel.
3. Have a better-looking space program right now.
4. Play Go beter than you do.
5. Cook way better than Mac this and Coca that.
6. They always put on a wide grin.
Yes, I see it now. Start a space-weapons program. It will trigger a space-arms race. The Terr'rists will have to join in the race or admit defeat. They will spend themselves to the ground. In the end, we win... without firing a bullet.
It worked soooooooooooooo well with SDI. It's time to reuse that masterplan. Waste truckloads of money on useless stuff in the hope that the enemy will be dumb enough to follow us.
It would be nice to be sure of anything the way some people are of everything.
No, I didn't rtfa, but I'll put my 2 cents in anyway. Of course we need weapons in space. Wherever man travels he needs to bring with him the ability to kill in advanced ways doesn't he? I mean, don't we? That's what we do, right?
My humor is probably your flamebait
Militarism will only lead to the death of mankind.
You have two hands and one brain, so always code twice as much as you think!
The only reason is that they do not have enough shovels and don't have permission to search in Syria. The fact was that these WMD's existed. They were used, and this is documented. There is no documentantion of the destruction (or use) of the remaining stockpiles which had been previously inventoried.
'Oh, this is just rich. The No-Fly Zones were not UN-accepted'
Inspection/patrols to ensure and monitor compliance were part of the cease-fire agreement after the first Gulf War. Iraq had no right to ignore it based on silly "spy!" claims. Attacks on these peacekeepers were entirely illegal and unprovoked aggression. To stop these attacks alone, the allies had the right to whomp Saddam's terrorist infrascture as hard as possible.
'Then, before war began, we began bombing essentially at will to try and goad Iraq into attacking the US.'
They (Saddam's terrorists) already had attacked, and were attacking still. Your claim makes no sense. The "attacks" you mention were retaliation for attacks against Americans which had already occured.
'The IAEA and UNMOVIC heads themselves described good cooperation from the Iraqi government. Blix... '
Blix's own reports detailed large infractions. Blix said that Iraq's cooperation was improving, but was not there yet. This compliance was 10 years overdue, and was still not there yet. it is a blatant lie to claim "good cooperation" when the summaries still showed that cooperation was not occuring.
'Hussein Kamel (...informed the teams that Iraq *had* destroyed its chemical and biological agents in order to try and get the embargo '
How many lies must be told to defend Saddam? There is nothing true about this. Iraq refused to document such destruction of the weapons. They were still blocking inspections up until the US large-scale retaliation. If they were eager to end the embargo, they would have welcomed inspections.
'Most of the Iraqi complaints were of the US spying to gather information for war, which turned out to be true.'
Well, duh! Realize that there is no difference between inspection and spying. Under the cease fire agreements at the end of the first Gulf War, Saddam had no right to complain. There would have been no second "war". if he had bothered to comply.
'The closest thing Iraq did to active promotion of terrorism was giving money to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers to compensate for Israel's policy of destroying the families' homes'
While you attempt to sugar-coat it, you do mention Saddam's terrorist actions to try to exterminate the Jews. In keeping with "tell any lie in order to prop up Saddam and make Bush look bad", you are forgetting Saddam hosting and harboring numerous terrorists and terrorist organizations.
This is quite typical. None of the arguments used in support of Saddam Hussein and his aggression have any validity.
Where were you when the voynix came?
(Monty Python):
I Like Chinese Lyrics
Artist: Monty Python (Buy Monty Python CDs)
Album: Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album
The world today seems absolutely crackers,
With nuclear bombs to blow us all sky high.
There's fools and idiots sitting on the trigger.
It's depressing and it's senseless, and that's why...
I like Chinese. I like Chinese.
They only come up to your knees,
Yet they're always friendly, and they're ready to please.
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
There's nine hundred million of them in the world today.
You'd better learn to like them; that's what I say.
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They come from a long way overseas,
But they're cute and they're cuddly, and they're ready to please.
I like Chinese food.
The waiters never are rude.
Think of the many things they've done to impress.
There's Maoism, Taoism, I Ching, and Chess.
So I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
I like their tiny little trees,
Their Zen, their ping-pong, their yin, and yang-ese.
I like Chinese thought,
The wisdom that Confucious taught.
If Darwin is anything to shout about,
The Chinese will survive us all without any doubt.
So, I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They only come up to your knees,
Yet they're wise and they're witty, and they're ready to please.
All together.
[verse in Chinese]
Wo ai zhongguo ren. (I like Chinese.)
Wo ai zhongguo ren. (I like Chinese.)
Wo ai zhongguo ren. (I like Chinese.)
Ni hao ma; ni hao ma; ni hao ma; zaijien! (How are you; how are you; how are you; goodbye!)
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
Their food is guaranteed to please,
A fourteen, a seven, a nine, and lychees.
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
I like their tiny little trees,
Their Zen, their ping-pong, their yin, and yang-ese.
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They only come up to your knees...