The Candidates
America’s future lies in space. Today our economy is strengthened by the vast commercial economy based in Earth orbit.
Use anything with GPS?
Ever make a long-distance phone call?
Ever watch cable TV or satellite TV?
Even vast parts of the internet are relayed through satellites. Over 80% of the satellites in space are commercial non-government.
Our national security depends on our military assets in space. In the second Iraq War we are using 8 times as many space based assets as we did in the 1st Iraq war. Our intelligence depends on our eyes in the sky. Our soldiers depend on satellites to receive their up-to-the-minute intelligence and orders.
Our Army, Navy and Air Force all depend on assets based in space. This is why I want to hear McCain articulate a broad vision for space besides exploration to Mars or the Moon.
We need to patrol the Earth orbit just as we would patrol the open seas. Our commercial and our military assets in space are open to attack from Russia (who leads us in space) and from China (who’s expanding into space).
Our defense against nuclear weapons ultimately will depend on anti-missile assets in space. Unfortunately we’re using treaties with a nation that no longer exists (USSR) to prevent the Star Wars vision of Reagan.
I want to hear from McCain if he’ll consider abrogating our treaties with the USSR now that Russia is suddenly aggressive. We need to defend our assets in space and defend against Russia’s strong position in space. The ABM treaty needs to go into the shredder.
I think McCain could go further. He could promote the idea of a new uniformed military service:
The Space Corps.
Just like the Marine Corps, the Space Corps would be a smaller service that operates inside another service but with independence and separate funding. Just as the Marine Corps is part of the Navy, the Space Corps would be part of the Air Force.
The War on Terrorism, also depends on rapid and reliable communications and intelligence. Without our assets in space we’d have no ability to fight the shadowy and fleetfooted terrorists.
I want McCain to emphasize the importance of space to our security, economy, and freedom. You wouldn’t want to live in a future where Russia and China ruled the air and threatened our freedom.
August 29th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
“The Space Corps” would get totally laughed at in the MSM…
August 29th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
… not that it’s a bad idea; it just would get ridiculed.
August 29th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Well, you could call it the Space Defense Force if that sounds better.
The point is that if we don’t defend our commercial and military assets in space that we won’t be a world power for long.
Russia already has more assets in space than we do after their petro-fueled military build-up.
This determines whether we remain strong or become dependent on Russia and China.
August 29th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Honestly, not a bad point. Would you please re-post this on a another day where our minds aren’t elsehwere? I think it’s worth a discussion.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
I agree good and very seriously needed conversation - for another day.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
I agree. Space is our future.
How about the United Federation of Planets?
Original isn’t it?
We truly need a very strong space program.
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
August 30th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Any military branch with the word “space” would be laughed at. I think an acronym would be in order.
August 30th, 2008 at 2:35 am
On reflection this silly reaction towards the word “space” may explain why Rumsfeld never did anything to give our space oriented military organizations funding priority or functional independence.
The use of the term “Space Corps” is straight from a Rumsfeld document. Instead he had to sell space activities to Congress and bypass the public. Most space activities remained in the Air Force where they fought on the losing end of funding priorities.
Perhaps our public is too silly to take our defense seriously until it involves China downing half our satellites. Perhaps the public will take it seriously when our nation is defenseless and our cell phones, GPS, internet and TVs are all not working.
August 30th, 2008 at 2:49 am
This article describes the need for an _independent_ space-oriented military organization better than I could.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/565/1
I think McCain needs to address this issue in the campaign. We need to be prepared so we don’t have a 21st century Pearl Harbor.