Not much new except a step up in the rhetoric coming out of Beijing. China’s space ambitions are not exactly secret, as far as I’m concerned human motivation into space is just another step in a logical progression of human expansion out into the solar system. My concern is chiefly with the utilization of space militarily: not for the protection of the planet from asteroids or some kind of radical hypothetical nefarious extraterrestrial threat; but for the self-serving desires of a limited few.
As the planet approaches direct collective recognition of its singularity I feel as though the concern for a self-serving solipsistic megalomaniacal psychotic minority elite will pass. The fact of the matter is though, no matter how far you regress philosophically or progress scientifically — the problem of militarizing space even under the auspices of “protection” and “self-defense” becomes a direct concern all over again.
Singularize the Earth, singularize the universe. When do you GROW UP and put away your weapons systems?
In any event, it’s not the luxury of us who live now to consider such utopian futuristic idealistic worlds. We work with what we have. Let’s not forget General Zhu Chenghu’s 2005 comment regarding the United States defense of Taiwan …
“If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition on to the target zone on China’s territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons.”
Granted we aren’t in the same position we were in at the end of the Cold War to dictate terms to ANYONE. Bush and company have completely squandered any clout we may have accumulated. Hopefully Obama will be able to repair the terrible damage that Bush and the Republicans have caused this once great country.
Outside scrutiny of China has, understandably, been muted in the weeks following the Sichuan earthquake. But a new battle of strength between Asia’s emerging superpower and the US is fast emerging - in the skies. In comments reported this week, Chinese military bigwigs have warned that an arms race in space is “unstoppable”.
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