How Quickly Will the Latest Arms Race Accelerate?

First time accepted submitter tranquilidad writes "Russia was concerned enough about the U.S. development of a Prompt Global Strike (PGS) capability in 2010 that they included restrictions in the New Start treaty (previously discussed on Slashdot). It now appears that China has entered the game with their 'Ultra-High Speed Missile Vehicle.' While some in the Russian press may question whether fears of the PGS are 'rational' it appears that the race is on to develop the fastest weapons delivery system. The hypersonic arms race is focused on 'precise targeting, very rapid delivery of weapons, and greater survivability against missile and space defenses' with delivery systems traveling between Mach 5 and Mach 10 after being launched from 'near space.'"

Comments

The principle violator???

[clay_buster]

"The organization has concluded that the United States is now the principle violator of human rights and freedoms worldwide." -- Amnesty International's annual report on human rights.

Dictatorships and closed systems/societies have the advantage that Amnesty International can't get all the information to make valid conclusions. They get rumors and innuendo. Half the time AI only knows there are problems when bodies start flowing down the rivers. I view this in the same way I view those who say that Snowden's documents prove the USA is the most intrusive. (Yeah I'm in the minority that think both the NSA is violating the constitution and that Snowden belongs in jail) This of course isn't true to the degree Europeans like to run on about. Snowden's documents show that many other countries willingly cooperated for information sharing. Dig out the documents from eastern Europe or china and we can talk about how governments rank against each other on some human rights and freedoms scale.