I read an
article today that left me scratching my head in wide-eyed wonder. Are the folks "running the show" really as arrogant as I'm seeing them to be? It seems that just five hours ago, GWB signed an order "asserting the U.S.'s right (Did you get that?
Right. . .) to deny adversaries (And just exactly who falls into the category of adversary? Well, I guess that's for bigger minds than mine because all it says is adversaries.) access to space for hostile purposes."
Again with the hostile purposes? Define "hostile purposes," for me, please. Does this mean these "adversaries" want to take our stuff? And from space, no less! Those cunning adversaries . . .
Bear with me, Sir, as I may appear a bit slow, but could you please answer a few questions for me? Who exactly owns space, Mr. President? When exactly did the U.S. acquire the entitlement and/or ownership of space, either inner or outer? Who, exactly, gave our country the power and authority to dictate what's allowed or not allowed in space? Folks, please bear with me as I'm just a tad shocked over this. Our country is failing miserably in taking care of itself and its people, yet it acts as though it's the final word on, not only itself, but every other country on this tiny blue sphere balanced precariously in space. WTF??
"Freedom of action in space is as important to the United States as air power and sea power," the policy says. "In order to increase knowledge, discovery, economic prosperity, and to enhance the national security, the United States must have robust, effective, and efficient space capabilities."
The policy says that space systems should have rights of passage without interference, and that the United States would view any deliberate interference with its space systems as an infringement on its rights.
"Consistent with this policy, the United States will: preserve its rights, capabilities, and freedom of action in space; dissuade or deter others from either impeding those rights or developing capabilities intended to do so; take those actions necessary to protect its space capabilities; respond to interference; and deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to U.S. National interests."
(Emphasis mine)
The White House said that the policy does not call for the development or deployment of weapons in space and National Security Council spokesman Frederick Jones said, "Protection of space assets does not imply some sort of forceful action. There is a broad range of ways to protect our space capabilities" such as system hardening, encryption, maneuvering and other methods."
Excuse me, Sir, but you're not doing such a bang up job protecting the rights of the citizens of the U.S., which are guaranteed us by the Constitution. (Remember that archaic, nonsensical document you keep trying to make self-serving changes to?) And now you want to protect the U.S.'s rights in space? Well, please clue me in . . . Who deemed space to be ours? I mean it just follows that space would have to be ours in order for us to have rights there, correct? And just what exactly are our rights in space and where can I find documentation of those rights? And if there is documentation of our rights in space, are you going to try and take them away at some point like you are with our rights right here in our own country? I'd also like to ask, Sir, how far into deep space is owned by the U.S., exactly? 10 million light years from the Milky Way perhaps? Please Sir, look long and hard at those images. And after you get your faculties about you, please let us, the citizens, voters, and taxpayers of this country know exactly who owns space? I mean if we own space and have rights to and in space, it just follows that we're going to have to equip and protect space, I mean since it's ours and all. And just exactly how much is it going to cost to fully "strap" space, technologically speaking? Don't/can't you see how arrogant this all sounds to us, let alone to the rest of the world? We're all just tenants here, Sir, for an average of approximately 75 - 80 years. None of this is ours. It was here long before we got here and will be here long after we leave, if we don't allow our own arrogance to destroy it. This is a photo of us, Sir, the most distant picture ever taken of the Earth from Voyager 1 in February 1990 when it was at the orbit of Neptune, 4 billion miles away, courtesy of NASA:
Is all that area surrounding us ours too, Sir?
Seems to me you should check yourself before you wreck yourself, Sir. Just some friendly advice from a fellow American, voter, and citizen of the U.S. and planet Earth.