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Galileo Sends Its First Signals
VVrath writes "Galileo, the European answer to the US Military-owned GPS has sent it's first signals to ground stations in the UK and Belgium. The first satellite in the Galileo system, Giove-A was launched on December 28th 2005, and is set to be followed by a further 29 satellites by 2010. At a cost of over $4 Billion, is this system really going to offer any major advantages over GPS, or is it merely a politicised 'anything you can do we can do better' by the European Space Agency?"
I think a StarWar is now more probable than the world war, since there are no competitors to US as far as military technology is concerned
They called me mad, and I called them mad, and damn them, they outvoted me. -Nathaniel Lee
Yeah, that kindler gentler socialist society worked real well for the French...
Military GPS is accurate to about two feet (considering our missiles keep missing by three miles, that's probably enough). Public GPS has an accuracy of about 60 feet (18 meters). Galileo starts at 1 m (public), and goes up to a couple of centimetres (commercial). It also has built-in support for emergency signals, etc.
GPS is old, and the DoD has been spending its billions (and it's a lot more than 4 billion, trust me) on ridiculous projects (that never get done, all the money ends up in the pockets of half a dozen people), instead of updating it.
Even if we boot the W-junta, we won't catch up with Europe and China in terms of technology (mainly space, biology and nuclear power production) until 2030.
You know - "Fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity" was kind of cute.
Fighting wars to prevent wars - is just plain idiocy.
If the US "one day" will no longer have the money to afford a large military, a new opponent will show up RIGHT THEN. No matter which "bronze"-age countries you're bombing back to the stone age before then.
The US *government* (note: not the PEOPLE) are a bunch of fairly dangerous hippocrites at best.
"We want free trade!" (unless of course, we're talking subsidising our farmers so
that they can produce "cheaper" than 3rd world countries.
"We believe in patents (hence we should not allow third world countries to make
cheap AIDS drug knockoffs purely for THEIR OWN use."
(At the same time, if someone sends out a couple of bags of white powder, threaten
a German pharmaceutical company to massively cut its price for Cipro, or lose the
patent. - and this on an order where your country eventually saved a couple
hundred million, which is peanuts to the US - while 3rd world countries should
cough up billions they can ill afford for their AIDS drugs).
"We believe in justice!" (unless of course, we are charging another country -
"Innocent until proven guilty" only goes for Americans, not for 3rd world
dictators ("Saddam! Prove your innocence!") - It might be noteworthy that
at the same time, the US alleged Saddam was working on nukes - despite not
having any proof for that - North Korea was openly touting the fact that they
were working on nukes, and THEM your government chose not to attack.
When an Iranian president calls out for wiping Israel off the map - "What an
outrage". When Pat Robertson calls for the US to assassinate Robert Chavez "He's
just a loony"
Your government, unfortunately, seems to think the world is just there to solve its problems - not the other way around. Which is kind of sad, because most Americans I've met really are a friendly a gentle people. And while I AM absolutely grateful that the US helped free Germany 60 years ago, I don't think that this would make today's US government infallible. (Note - again, before any US reader takes this the wrong way - I'm critisising the way your GOVERNMENT deals in those matters, I'm not judging the people living in the US).
We don't hate America.
We just don't trust the American Government...
you know, the one promoting the 'One Planet, One God, One Country, and the Holy Dollar to bind them all'
It takes 40+ muscles to frown, but only four to extend your arm and bitchslap the motherfucker
So, basicaly, I should blame US citizens? All 270 million of them?
Result is the same. As you said, US citizens voted for war. Which led to "Colateral damage" excuse? People died, you know. Way too many to be served afterwards with such pathetic excuses.
In my opinion US should resolve that internaly (or not, as it seems after last elections where Bush won). Rest of the world should just step aside and wait. The only problem I see here is that some US people actualy think it was good cause for messing out with other countries.
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