OMNI
STAR WARS PROTEST TO STOP US MILITARIZATION
OF SPACE, NEWSLETTER #8, September 20, 2021.
Keep Space for
Peace Week (Oct 2-9, 2021)
BUILDING A CULTURE OF PEACE,
Justice, and Ecology,
Compiled by Dick Bennett
(#1 December 13, 2006; #2 January 24, 2008; #3 October 4, 2008; #4
October 2-9, 2010; #5, October 1-8, 2011; #6, October 6-13, 2012; #7, March 28,
2020)
This newsletter is
a mini-anthology, a little book against the militarization of space. You might start Karl Grossman on the Space
Treaty of 1967 and Bruce Gagnon on Trump’s Space Force.
CONTENTS #8 Global Network
Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space via sendinblue.com
Space Alert! 2021
Contents of Latest Number, edited by Bruce Gagnon
Super-Power Conflict over
Bases on Moon, Colonies on Mars, J.Narayana Rao, In Memoriam
Rocket Lab in NZ
Gold Rush Into Space
Karl Grossman. Space Treaty of 1967 or WWIII
UN Outer Space Treaty
Space Law Treaties and
Principles
Five Treaties
Purpose of Star Trek: US
Space Dominance
Bulletin of the Atomic
Scientists, Hypersonic Missiles: Need for Skeptical Journalists
Bruce Gagnon, Trump’s Space
Force
Book Review: Publisher’s
Praise and Critical Review
Neil Neil deGrasse Tyson and
Avis Lang. ACCESSORY TO WAR: THE UNSPOKEN ALLIANCE BETWEEN ASTROPHYSICS
AND THE MILITARY. 2018.
Branko Marcetic, Trump’s
Space Force
Back to 1990s: Star Wars:
Irrational, Unfeasible, Dangerous
The Leap Manifesto a Way to a
Peace and Justice
TEXTS
TEXT
Rocket Lab in New Zealand
A protest was held at New
Zealand’s Rocket Lab in June by a coalition of organizations opposing the
militarization of the launch facility there.
Like many other communities
around the globe, New Zealanders were promised that Rocket Lab would only do
civilian launches. But Lockheed Martin has taken over the facility and
offensive military missions are now the standard fare.
Free the Sky
Activists in northern
California wore the new Global Net work T-shirts at one of their regular
protests at Beale AFB.
Beale flies spy planes,
drones and also has a ‘missile defense’ radar facility on the base.
We've got several new colors
to pick from. Check the shirts out here.
'Thank God men cannot fly,
and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.'
~ Henry David Thoreau
Global Network Against
Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
P.O. Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
globalnet@mindspring.com
(207) 389-4606
Opposition
growing in New Zealand to Military Space Launches
Bruce Gagnon
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear
Power in Space via sendinblue.com
6-28-21
Keep Space for Peace message is spreading.
Check out the new Global Network Space Alert interview with Professor Kevin
Clements from New Zealand about the Rocket Lab campaign opposing U.S. military
space launches on indigenous Maori land.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XZzYm04xjE
Inside the Rocket Lab facility you find the
U.S. flag alongside the New Zealand flag. This Lockheed Martin owned company
indicates how the U.S. is currently controlling the foreign policy of New
Zealand. The last launch by Rocket Lab was called 'Gunsmoke-J' on behalf of the
U.S. Missile Defence Agency, for warfare combat targeting.
Keep Space for Peace Week
(October 2-9)
A gold rush into space is now underway
There are tens of thousands of mini-satellites
expected to be launched in coming years, mostly for 5G which will have military
application for greater surveillance and targeting.
We can expect growing deterioration of the
Earth’s ozone layer due to toxic rocket exhaust. More spaceports (often in
environmentally sensitive areas) are being constructed to handle the glut in
launches.
Astronomers are angry as they witness the dark
night sky covered in satellite trails.
The privatization of space for profit puts the
United Nations’ Moon and Outer Space Treaties in jeopardy. The Pentagon’s
‘Space Force’ is issuing statements about the U.S. determination to control the
pathway ‘on and off’ the planet.
Now is the time for us to gather
internationally and call for protection of the space environment from greed,
pollution and war.
Join us by organizing a local public event in
your community during Keep Space for Peace Week.
Art design by Brandon Marx & Nancy Randolph
Events at military bases, space tech production
facilities, launch sites, outside government buildings and more.
Please check out & share our many space
videos. Click here
Organize a local event
Be sure to let us know about any event planned in your local community during space
week. Click here
Editor.
Mronline.org (9-2-21).
Originally
published: CovertAction Magazine by
Karl Grossman (August 25, 2021 ) | -
Posted Sep 01, 2021
And yet far worse is to come—unless there is
a return to the vision of the Outer Space Treaty
of 1967. The latter needs to be expanded, U.S. Space
Force dismantled, and a full global commitment made to keep space for peace.
The United Nations Outer Space Treaty of 1967 -
UNOOSA
https://www.unoosa.org ›
ourwork › spacelaw › treaties
Treaty on
Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use
of Outer Space, including the Moon and
Other Celestial Bodies.
What is the Outer Space Treaty of
1967?
The treaty (formally the Treaty on Principles Governing the
Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the
Moon and Other Celestial Bodies; PDF) is a product of the Cold War and
primarily addresses concerns of that era, including nuclear war.Apr 1, 2017
Who signed the Outer Space Treaty of
1967?
The Outer
Space Treaty was opened for signature in the United States, the United
Kingdom, and the Soviet Union on 27 January 1967, and entered into
force on 10 October 1967. As of February 2021, 111 countries are parties to the
treaty, while another 23 have signed the treaty but have not completed
ratification.
Why was the Outer Space Treaty
created?
Created when space travel was in its infancy, the agreement
was meant to address issues that could arise as space technology
advanced.Jan 27, 2017
Article
VI
When activities are carried on in outer space,
including the moon and other celestial bodies, by an international
organization, responsibility for compliance with this Treaty shall be
borne both by the international organization and by the States Parties
to the Treaty participating in such an organization.
Space
Law Treaties and Principles
UN OFFICE FOR
OUTER SPACE AFFAIRS
The treaties
commonly referred to as the "five United Nations treaties on outer
space" are:
o
Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused
by Space Objects
·
The "Registration Convention"
o
Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer
Space
o
Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon
and Other Celestial Bodies
The Outer Space Treaty at a Glance | Arms
Control Association
https://www.armscontrol.org ›
factsheets › outerspace
The 1967 Outer
Space Treaty bans the stationing of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
in outer space, prohibits military activities on celestial bodies, ...
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Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang ACCESSORY
TO WAR: THE UNSPOKEN ALLIANCE BETWEEN
ASTROPHYSICS AND THE MILITARY.
2018.
New York Times Bestseller
[First the praise from publisher and several readers, second a
severe critique by T. J. Coles.]
An
exploration of the age-old complicity between skywatchers and warfighters, from
the best-selling author of Astrophysics
for People in a Hurry.
In this
fascinating foray into the centuries-old relationship between science and
military power, acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and
writer-researcher Avis Lang examine how the methods and tools of astrophysics
have been enlisted in the service of war. "The overlap is strong, and the
knowledge flows in both directions," say the authors, because astrophysicists and military planners
care about many of the same things: multi-spectral detection, ranging,
tracking, imaging, high ground, nuclear fusion, and access to space. Tyson and
Lang call it a "curiously complicit" alliance. "The universe is
both the ultimate frontier and the highest of high grounds," they write.
"Shared by both space scientists and space warriors, it’s a laboratory for
one and a battlefield for the other. The explorer wants to understand it; the
soldier wants to dominate it. But without the right technology—which is more or
less the same technology for both parties—nobody can get to it, operate in it,
scrutinize it, dominate it, or use it to their advantage and someone else’s
disadvantage."
Spanning
early celestial navigation to satellite-enabled warfare, Accessory to War is a richly researched and provocative examination
of the intersection of science, technology, industry, and power that will
introduce Tyson’s millions of fans to yet another dimension of how the universe
has shaped our lives and our world.
ENDORSEMENTS
& REVIEWS
“Extraordinary....A
feast of history, an expert tour through
thousands of years of war and conquest....Condenses multiple bodies of work
into one important, comprehensive and coherent story of the symbiotic developments of astrophysics and
war....The lesson is not merely a wake-up call for astrophysicists, but for
all of us, for anyone with the misapprehension that science somehow marches on
separate from the rest of culture” — Jennifer Carson, New York Times Book
Review
“Through
ample research and nimble storytelling, Tyson and [Lang] trace the long and tangled
relationship between state power and
astronomy....Deep and eloquent.” — Joshua Sokol, Washington Post
“Fascinating....Retells the history of space exploration,
and of the Cold War, excelling in bringing forth the entangled advances of
science and military interests....The book’s message rings like a wake-up
call.” — Marcelo Gleiser, NPR
“Archimedes
and Leonardo worked for their Departments of Defense, and when the telescope
was invented it was an immediate instrument of war. Why do astrophysicists even
have jobs? asks Neil deGrasse Tyson. Now you can see the inside story, from
early times to the cold war, the Apollo program, spy satellites and the Hubble
Space Telescope, the Iraq war, and perhaps asteroid mining. A wonderful book
and a fascinating read, full of amazing stories, all backed up with deep
scholarship.” — John Mather, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics
“A
sweeping panoramic overview of the enduring alliance between astrophysics and
the military—from the Greeks to Galileo to GPS.” — Science
“Accessory
to War is a phenomenal work that should be required reading for policy makers
everywhere.” — William E. Burrows, author of Deep Black: Space Espionage and
National Security and This New Ocean: The Story of the First Space Age
“This
is an indispensable, mind-blowing account about a necessary near-future that
is, tragically, not inevitable: that the disciplines of astrophysics and
politics unite to forge a new frontier—not through ‘Rumsfeldian-Trumpian
truculence,’ or by fattening the military while now starving science and the
humanities, or by allowing China to continue to lead the U.S. in ‘worldwide
research and development spending.’ These have already killed a supposed
American Century. Beautifully combining a clear account of cutting-edge
astrophysics and politics with a 3000-year historical perspective, this book
deserves not only to be read, but to become a guide for those who hope for a
better, survivable, near future.” — Walter LaFeber, Tisch Distinguished
University Professor Emeritus, Cornell University
“Throughout
history, wars tend to be won by nations that are at the forefront of science.
Thus astronomers and physicists have, since ancient times, benefited from an
uneasy alliance with the military. This enlightening book explores the history
and current implications of this partnership between space science and national
security.” — Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs and professor of history,
Tulane University
“Accessory
to War is not just about astrophysics. It is a readable account of the
intersection between science and security policy, complete with historical
background and personal insights and anecdotes from America’s most-trusted
scientist. This is a much needed read for both policymakers and the public, who
in 'normal' times know and care too little about science, but in today's
political climate increasingly show disdain for scientific principles that fail
to fit their philosophical reality or political goals. Astrophysics is too
often perceived as 'not touching me or my life,' but this book artfully
explains otherwise.” — Joan Johnson-Freese, professor of national security
affairs, Naval War College
“A wide
ranging and provocative set of observations on the two-way relationship between
science-based knowledge and national power, especially power of the military
variety, replete with trenchant insights. Tyson
and Lang’s hopeful concluding message is on-target—that knowledge-based
dominance, either in space or on Earth, is not possible in today’s
interconnected world, and that cooperation in the use of our knowledge is the
necessary path to planetary well-being.” — John M. Logsdon, professor emeritus,
Space Policy Institute, George Washington University
Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Celebrity Salesman for the
Military-Industrial-Complex
by T.J.
COLES
The idea for this article came from one of those annoying
“Recommended for you” thumbnails on YouTube. The title was: “Neil deGrasse
Tyson: Trump’s Space Force Is Not a Crazy Idea.” Having written about and
researched space weapons for over a decade, I was intrigued as to why a seemingly
intelligent man (Tyson) would want to help promote an agenda that will
literally imperil us all, namely the weaponization of space: the end-game of
which is global domination in the interests of economic neoliberalism. So I
clicked. Tyson was talking to host Stephen Colbert about the wonders of space
militarization (by the US, of course, not its enemies).
It turns out that Tyson is promoting a
new, co-authored book, Accessory to War: the Unspoken Alliance Between
Astrophysics and the Military (W.W. Norton, released, tastelessly, on 11 September),
which is all about the history of
science militarization. The book is a disgraceful attempt to use history as
an excuse to justify the continuation and expansion of taxpayer-funded R&D
into hi-technology via military budgets. By now, the hi-tech sector dominates
the top US corporations: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. Much
of the innovations used by these companies were initiated in the military.
Tyson is doing the rounds on national
media, including Colbert and CBS
This Morning, to promote the book and more broadly continued
public expenditure on the Pentagon. After a little digging, I found that
America’s favourite astrophysicist is a glorified salesman for the
military-industrial-complex.
TYSON’S MILITARY-SCIENCE BACKGROUND
Having graduated from the Bronx High
School of Science, Tyson went on to earn a PhD in astrophysics from Columbia
University in 1991. From 1996, Tyson has been Frederick P. Rose director of
the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum
of Natural History.
Pretty soon, the George W. Bush
administration was calling on Tyson’s talents for all things space-related.
Under President Bill Clinton, the Space Command (later Air Force Space Command)
announced plans to dominate the entire world by force, “Full Spectrum Dominance” as the
successors continue to call it. In 2001, under Bush, the Rumsfeld
Space Commission, sought ways to expand the weaponization
of space to reinforce US-led corporate globalization and the architecture —
satellites, GPS, the internet, etc. — that supports it. In the same year, Tyson
became a formal employee of the Bush administration. One of his biographical
webpages states:
“In 2001, Tyson was appointed by President Bush to serve on a
12-member commission that studied the Future of the US Aerospace Industry. The
final report was published in 2002 and contained recommendations (for Congress
and for the major agencies of the government) that would promote a thriving
future of transportation, space exploration, and national security.”
The Final Report of the Commission on the Future of the
United States Aerospace Industry, on which Tyson worked, makes for
an interesting read. It starts from an elite-nationalistic viewpoint, namely
that of maintaining US supremacy in innovation before, discussing in Appendix
G: “Astronautical research and development, including resources, personnel,
equipment, and facilities; Outer space exploration and control.” “Control,” no
less. Controlling space is a core part of “Full Spectrum Dominance.” Tyson’s
biography also states that in 2004, he:
“was once again appointed by President Bush to serve on a
9-member commission on the Implementation of the United States Space
Exploration Policy, dubbed the ‘Moon, Mars, and Beyond’ commission. This group
navigated a path by which the new space vision can become a successful part of
the American agenda.”
The follow-up Tyson-co-authored
report, A Journey to Inspire, Innovate, and Discover, also makes interesting reading. It
states:
“Of particular importance to the space exploration vision is a
strong partnership between NASA and the Department of Defense, where research,
technical assistance, and operational assets are often shared. The Commission
believes that the role of the existing Partnership Council – wherein NASA, the
Air Force, and National Reconnaissance Office coordinate mutual work and
interests – should also focus actively on supporting the new vision.”
The report says the US should
“DARPA-ize” (my phrase) NASA. DARPA is the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency which uses taxpayer money to innovate the hi-technology which now
dominates the top-ten list of US corporations. DARPA famously brought us the
internet, for instance. The report says:
“we suggest that the Administration and Congress create within
NASA an organization drawing upon lessons learned from the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA is a highly successful organization
that is chartered to fund high-risk/high return basic research in support of
national defense priorities.”
R&D SALESMAN
The high-risk is paid for by the
taxpayer who then buy back the given product on the consumer market. For
example: touch-screen technology now used by Apple, for instance, came out of
technology developed for the Air Force.
Disturbingly, the report recommends that
NASA integrate a contract system like the US Missile “Defense” program, which
is so essential to the overall goal of “Full Spectrum Dominance” (on his
recent CBS piece, Tyson doesn’t challenge the erroneous assumption that
the system is for “defense”), The report says: “In the case of U.S. Missile
Defense, for example, the integrator is responsible for the overall system of
systems architecture, and for integrating the space, air, land, and sea
elements of the architecture.”
The goal of a successful propaganda
system is to sell science designed and applied for military use (itself serving
the dual-functions of ensuring US global corporate supremacy and innovation in
the hi-tech economy) to the public as “cool” and fun. Enter Tyson. Since
working for the federal government on these schemes, he has hostedthe PBS-NOVA series, Origins; worked on
The Pluto Files documentary; appeared on ScienceNOW; and has hosted StarTalk
(funded in part by the taxpayer-funded National Science Foundation), which
features comedians who attract laypeople to science.
Tyson joined the US military’s 15-member
Defense Innovation Board (DIB), launched in 2016. The board advises the Defense
Secretary on numerous issues. DIB continues the all-American tradition of
ripping off taxpayers by using their money to invest in hi-tech innovation
under the cover of a “defense” budget. DIB says:
“Some of the foremost topics the DIB is exploring include
artificial intelligence, machine learning, workforce capacity, organizational
structure, hiring and retention strategies, acquisition reform, electronic and
drone warfare, software capabilities, and IT infrastructure.”
FLEECING THE PUBLIC
So, with this background, it’s not surprising that Tyson would
appear on national television and talk up the Defense Department. But it’s
crucial for any successful propaganda campaign that his record with the federal
government be suppressed, minimized or justified. Hence, the failure (refusal?)
of host Stephen Colbert to mention any of this to the casual viewer. The show
gives the impression that Tyson is just a fun and intelligent man with no
vested interests. In fact, Tyson lies and tells both Colbert and CBS: “I have
no dog in this fight” in relation to Trump’s (read: the Pentagon’s) creation of
a “Space Force.”
As noted, Tyson has been a government
advisor and at the time of appearing on the shows was a member of a DoD board.
In addition, we all have a “dog in the fight” of space weaponization because
fragile and complex space systems could result in catastrophic failures, including
miscommunications which can escalate into near-terminal catastrophe, as has
happened many times in the past in relation to nuclear weapons (see, for
instance, Daniel Ellsberg’s chilling book, The Doomsday Machine).
Adding a space dimension to fraught and dangerous geopolitical situations only
adds to the risk.
Last month, US Defense Secretary and war
criminal, James “it’s fun to shoot some people” Mattis,
told reporters that the Pentagon was advocating for a separate US Space Command
in response to the Defense Policy Bill’s plan to integrate space systems under
the Strategic Command (which also oversees nuclear strategy). Mattis was
initially against this, says Space News, but has changed his mind in
light of Trump’s (read: the Pentagon’s) insistence on having a “Space Force”.
With the new “Space Force” (as yet a
nickname) potentially going ahead, the friendly faces of US imperialism are
rolled out to justify expanding the militarization of space. Luckily, Tyson has
a new book on the same topic to promote. In addition, Trump’s undeserved
reputation as a moron (see my book President Trump, Inc.)
required the media presence of a respected professional (i.e., Tyson) to
promote the “Space Force.”
AN AMORAL BOOK
In Accessory to War, the authors write:
“A vibrant economy … depends on at least one of the following:
the profit motive, war on the ground, or war in space … Must war and
profit be what drive both civilization on Earth and the investigation of other
worlds? History … makes it hard to answer no … Star charts, calendars,
chronometers, telescopes, maps, compasses, rockets, satellites, drones–these
war not inspirational civilian endeavors. Dominance was their goal; increase of
knowledge was incidental.
… The first few years after 9/11 were a fine time to be
mercenary, a military engineering firm, or a giant aerospace company.”
Recall that Tyson worked to promote the aeroindustry. Tyson
acknowledges that “the space research my colleagues and I conduct plugs firmly
and fundamentally into the nation’s military might.” At a conference involving
military brass, Tyson was directly exposed via live-feed to the realities of
blowing women and children apart with hi-tech weapons in Iraq in 2003 from
high-ground platforms. He writes, self-pityingly:
“Blinking back tears and fighting to keep my composure, I
thought about leaving the conference. I began to choreograph my resignation
from the board of the Space Foundation. But at the same time I felt I couldn’t
just walk out of the sanctum of war…
[W]ithout the power sought by its participants … and without the
tandem investments in technology fostered by that quest for power, there
would be no astronomy, no astrophysics, no astronauts, no exploration of the
solar system, and barely any comprehension of the cosmos.”
That’s alright then. Tyson told CBS This Morning that he found a
psychological trick to avoid feeling responsible, namely to blame everyone
else: “I had to re-direct the causes and effects of this violence, and say,
‘No. It’s us, the electorate’ ” — they voted Bush in late-2000 (yeah, right).
“If you have access to weaponry that can achieve a geopolitical goal that is
noble then, I’m not there to stand in judgement of it,” he also told CBS.
MEANWHILE, IN THE REAL WORLD…
Tyson is careful to avoid mentioning
that both China and Russia have repeatedly advocated for signing a peace treaty
with the US, both for space and cyber warfare— not because Russia and China
are “good guys,” but because as much weaker military powers it is in their
interests to constrain US military actions and not provoke the superpower by
engaging in the same, unless the US does it first. In fact, on the Colbert
show, Tyson even mentions the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and ridicules it as an
equivalent of singing “Cumbayá.”
Meanwhile, groups are actively thinking up ways to transform
military spending into peaceful R&D for a green- and other hi-tech economy.
A report by
the German-based institute IFSH notes that military R&D is not an
inevitability. Following the end of the Cold War, military R&D declined.
But, “[e]ven in the US, civilian spending is now substantially larger than
military spending.” Why, then, place emphasis on military R&D, as
Tyson does? In most countries, says the author, “There has been a major shift
towards military use of technologies driven by civilian r&d, particularly
in electronics.”
In terms of practical alternatives,
Campaign Against the Arms Trade notes that skills shortages in the UK
(the same applies to the US) means that renewable energy sectors would be glad
to employ people previously skilled in the arms industry. Doing so lacks
political will only. In addition, the Campaign Against Climate Change reckons that the UK could become a carbon
neutral economy, employing one million people, for £19bn a year, which is about
half the current military budget. This would also involve the kind of
technological innovations currently privileged by the military sector.
The US transformed itself into a war economy during WWII and has
remained that ever since. But, with enough public pressure, it can be
transformed into a peace- and renewables economy. Don’t let intellectuals fool
you into thinking there are no alternatives to war — and in this case,
potentially terminal war.
More
articles by:T.J.
COLES
Dr. T. J. Coles is
director of the Plymouth Institute for Peace Research and the author of several
books, including Voices for Peace (with Noam Chomsky and
others) and the forthcoming Fire and Fury: How the US Isolates North Korea, Encircles
China and Risks Nuclear War in Asia (both Clairview
Books).
Trump’s Space Force Is No Joke:
China, Russia, and the U.S. are already militarizing
space. BY BRANKO MARCETIC. In
These Times, 20 October 2018.
Another reason why
IT’S THE WAR DEPARTMENT
STAR WARS
Reasons why Star Wars is irrational, unfeasible, and dangerous.
I.
Among the many programs on which the FY2000
Budget proposes to spend more money, the National Missile Defense (there’s that
Newspeak word again) program provides the clearest, most powerful
illustration of HUGE SUMS OF MONEY BEING WASTED to address a highly unlikely
threat. The least likely threat is from
nuclear missile attack. Only Russia and
China possess intercontinental range ballistic missiles and nether nation has
any reason to launch an attack. Russian
is dependent upon U.S. assistance, and China enjoys a massive trade surplus
with the U.S. The future capability of
the so-called “rogue” nations (another Newspeak word, for what nation has invaded and
bombed other nations the most: N. Korea, Cuba, Algeria, or the US?) to
deploy ICBMs is highly exaggerated.
These countries lack the resources for missile attacks with nuclear
weapons. And why go to the expense, when
a small nuclear device can be brought into the country through our borders and
ports at a fraction of the cost and risk?
Furthermore, ballistic missiles carry a return address and thus
guarantee devastating retaliation. Why not use chemical or biological agents by
clandestine means and avoid retaliation?
II.
Star Wars program seeks to shoot a bullet with a bullet. To date, in attempting to defend the US
against missile attack, the US has spent $55
billion and still has not developed technology that will work. The last five attempts to intercept a missile
all failed. Even if the bullet bullet
problem is solved, even one interceptor must be integrated into an as yet
unimaginably complex computer system required to function in a few
seconds.. And if 20 missiles are coming
in, there will be no certainty that this system will function reliable the
first time it is needed in the real world.
III.
The National Missile Defense WAR program clearly VIOLATES THE PROVISIONS OF
THE 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty with the Soviet Union. Unless Russia agrees to modify the terms of
the Treaty to accommodate US arms expansion, there is an implied threat that the US will unilaterally
abrogate it, placing the US and Russia in a new conflict. The ABM Treaty has effectively limited competition
in nuclear arms, and it helped produce the Strategic Arms Limitation (SALT) and
Strategic Arms Reduction (START) Treaties which braked and reversed the runaway
US-SU nuclear arms race of the 70s and 80s.
The National Missile War Program would probably block START II and keep
deployed strategic weapons at the 6,000 level rather than drop to 3,500 on each
side. Another danger of abrogating the
ABM Treaty is that it would strengthen the ultra-nationals faction in Russia,
which is already angry over NATO expansions.
They certainly would cite this as another reason to cling to their ful
nuclear arsenal.
IV.
Canceling the National Missile DEFENSE WAR plans will facilitate the reduction of
strategic arsenals of both nations. It
would result in a savings of at least $12 billion in the next six years, money
which could be applied through the Nunn-Lugar program to assist the Russians in
dismantling nuclear weapons and stockpiles of fissile materials. It would send a clear signal to the Russians
and the world that we are determined to proceed with nuclear disarmament as we
pledged to do under Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Source: The Defense Monitor 28.1 (1999), pub. by
Center for Defense Information (former Senator Bumpers, Director). Condensed by Dick Bennett,
jbennet@comp.uark.edu
The
Leap
“The
Leap Manifesto: A Call for a Canada Based on Caring for the Earth and One
Another” (full text at end of No Is Not Enough or https://leapmanifesto.org/en/the-leap-manifesto/
).
Comment
by Dick Bennett
On 12-10-20 PBS NOVA promoted the US
government’s renewal of its moon control program with its new generation of
larger rockets enabling a greatly expanded leap
into space: “Rise of the
Rockets.” The first rocket will circle
the moon. The second will land a
rocketeer to establish a permanent claim.
Each shot will cost billions.
Each will expand the US empire, most recently exposed in The United
States of War by David Vine. But
there has been no national debate over that expenditure for that purpose. There has been no comparison of that goal
with another Leap, this one a leap for humanity, all species and the planet.
In May 2015 , people from many walks of
life and representing diverse institutions and movements met in Toronto to
“connect the crises” and “chart a holistic vision for the future.” An example of the connections urgently
needing resistance were “the economic interests pushing hardest for war” that
are “the very same forces most responsible for warming the planet,” the very
same “corrosive values system that places profit above the well-being of people
and the planet,” the very same forces and values that have “seized control of
the White House” (No Is Not Enough 232).
The Conference concluded with the signing
of “The Leap Manifesto: A Call for a Canada Based on Caring for the Earth and
One Another.” Its indictment of Canada
applies even more forcefully to the USA for its “record on climate change [that
is] a crime against humanity’s future.”
The crimes have produced a global emergency, in response to which The
Manifesto declares sixteen principles for “decisive action to prevent
catastrophic global warming. That means
small steps will no longer get us where we need to go” (269).
The US can spend a trillion dollars to
dominate outer space, but nothing “to prevent catastrophic global warming.”
Contents: US Militarization
of Space Newsletter #7
Panel with Air force Secretary Heather Wilson and Rep. Mike
Rogers (R-AL), 12-30-17
Letter from Bruce Gagnon, August 1, 2017
FCNL, Nuclear Calendar
Global Network, Nuclear Conference
Pax Americana
Online
Tomgram: McCoy, Super Weapons
Slater, Missile Ban Treaty
Possible New
KEEP SPACE FOR PEACE
#1, December 13, 2006
#2, January 24, 2008
#3. October 4, 2008
Contents of #4 2010
PBS film on colonizing outer space.
New film on arming the heavens for wars.: Pax Americana
Web sites on Keep Space for Peace Week 2010
Contents of #5 2011
War Is a Crime.org
Pax Americana Film
Contents of #6 2012
Keep Space for Peace Week (as of August 2012)
Activities 2012
Maine Peace, Justice, Environment
#7, MARCH 28, 2020.
https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2020/05/omni-star-wars-newsletter-7-march-28.html
END US STAR WARS
MILITARIZATION OF SPACE #8
https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2020/05/omni-star-wars-newsletter-7-march-28.html
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