On Feb 11, 9:48 pm, (Eric Swanson) wrote:
In article ,
says...







"(David P.)" wrote in message
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/06/sc...ce/06orbi.html

Orbiting Junk, Once a Nuisance, Is Now a Threat

By WILLIAM J. BROAD
Published: February 6, 2007

For decades, space experts have worried that a speeding bit of
orbital debris might one day smash a large spacecraft into
hundreds of pieces and start a chain reaction, a slow cascade of
collisions that would expand for centuries, spreading chaos
through the heavens.

In the last decade or so, as scientists came to agree that the
number of objects in orbit had surpassed a critical mass -
or, in their terms, the critical spatial density, the point at which
a chain reaction becomes inevitable - they grew more anxious.

[cut]

"It gets more and more expensive," he said. "Sooner or later
it gets too expensive to do business in space."

When insane bullies like George Bush get into office,
and saber rattle because they think they have military superiority
because of space technology, such as GPS oriented weapons,
and battle field control,

you can bet that it plants the seed for some nation
to explode an atomic or fragment weapon in space
to level the playing field.

For every offense, there is a defense, eventually. The Islamists
have learned how to kill M1 tanks, according to recent reports.





I dare say that some nation,
perhaps Russia, China, or Iran
(Or even France, Germany, Argentina, etc.)
will decide to level the playing field
in the next twenty years,
and render the use of space for military
and other purposes, useless.

As can be seen from history,
after Rome imposed on other peoples
for a long time, and were discovered to be
a paper tiger, the other nations started
to detach from Rome, build defenses,
and rip up the Roman roads and forts.

Bush has set the same forces in motion.

You mean V.P Cheney, don't you?

No nation will allow a bully nation to dominate the world
with space military technology,
when it can be easily eliminated.

If space is neutralized,
can you imagine an insane leader like Bush
starting a land war against Russia, China, Iran, etc???

Iran is only 75 million people, last I heard. Without space, we still
own the skys, assuming the latest Russian anti-aircraft system just
delivered could be compromised. That's probably part of the reason
the Russians let them have it. The system would do them no good until
it's tested in actual combat. Maybe the Russians see Bush as headed
for a fight with the Iranians, thus, they get a real world test without
the risk of being blown away themselves.

Eric Swanson makes a good point when he points out
that Iran has a population of only 75 million people.

It is interesting to see that Iraq has a population of only 26
million,
and America is having no problems in kicking their ass.

Of course, if some nation takes out the GPS and spy satellite systems
by exploding fragments in space, America would have a little trouble
waging long distant land wars in North Korea, Iran, Russia, China,
Argentina, etc. with limited supplies of energy and man power.

The bottom line is
the best policy is to respect the rights and cultures of ALL people,
and build bridges rather than walls and military systems.

--
Tom Potter

*** Time Magazine Person of the Year 2006 ***
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