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Friends:
The news that the Pentagon has successfully tested their
"missile defense" system is not easy to swallow. It reminds me of the
feeling I had when Galileo (1989), Ulysses (1990), and Cassini (1997) all were
launched carrying plutonium payloads to loud cheers at NASA.
I think the most important lesson from all of this is that
given enough time and money that Star Wars could be made to work. In the
end it might not be the lemon some claim it to be after all.
Our opposition to Star Wars can't be based on technological
claims. If the rocket scientists have proven anything it is that they can
do amazing things sending rockets to the moon, Mars, and having bullets hit
bullets in space (even if not 100% of the time.)
The public has been told by some that Star Wars will never
work. Now they might not believe us next time we make such a
claim.
Better we don't get into a technological pissing contest with
the Pentagon. It's not our best card to play.
The lesson for the peace movement is to stick to the moral,
ethical high ground. Star Wars might just work and can we really afford
weapons in space? Can we afford to hand over the national treasury to the
Pentagon?
Do we want the U.S. Space Command to "control and dominate"
space and to "deny other countries access to space"? Is "full spectrum
dominance" in the heavens going to make the world more secure? What is the
relationship between the Space Command's "Vision for 2020" and the plans for
corporate globalization? These, I think, are the questions we should be
asking.
Many politicians would prefer that we restricted our criticism
to the technological questions. That way they can easily answer them by
offering more money for research, development, and testing. That makes the
aerospace industry happy as well. The politicians would rather not debate
the messy points about space "control and domination" because they are basically
in favor of U.S. corporate global dominance.
If we focus on the real issues surrounding a new space arms
race we won't be affected by flight test results in the future. We need to
control the debate on our terms and not get sucked into the technology
vortex. Let's keep our eyes on the prize and march on.
Bruce K. Gagnon Coordinator Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space PO Box 90083 Gainesville, FL 32607 (352) 337-9274 http://www.space4peace.org [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN-ANNOUNCE: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network - Event Announcements --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?subject=laamn-news> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn-announce> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- <http://home.labridge.com/~laamn> | LAAMN | <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. |
