Comments on: China Destroys Satellite through Missile

By: Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 22:20:09 +0000

Tom around the web…

+ Indistinct Union linked Is Gates really saying…. + Hidden Unities linked Petraeus and Fallon are good choices. + NonParty Politics linked the transcript from the coverage of PNM’s first chapter on Hugh’s show. + So did Penraker. + Humoud……

By: LEE JIACHENG

LEE JIACHENG — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 14:17:54 +0000

Is China going to use its technology to attack American satellites without provocation. I don’t think so. In that sense, it is just a deterrence. As long as the USA do not attack China, it has nothing to worry because the USA has much superior and much more weaponry than China.

As to the comment that USA shouldn’t have allowed China to â€˜buy our massive debt’, I agree that China should not loan so much money to the US. She should have spent the money on her own people. After all, not only is her loans devaluing with the Dollar, loaning so much money to the US and helping to keep its interest rate low benefitting so many Americans has instead generated so much ill suspicion.

I am not sure if the writer of that comment would really like it if China gets back all the money she loans to USA. One thing I know he/she would say , bad China makes us suffer from high interest rate. For China either way she is blamed. Frankly America is not a country that is fun or beneficial to deal with.

By: Lord Chao

Lord Chao — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 13:43:16 +0000

Do you really believe this story? The NYT states explicitly said the Bush administration states this, and they have told already plenty of lies about countries they don’t like. Plus there might be an interest of American ’space warriors’ to increase their revenue streams.

There has been not the faintest sight of a confirmation from China, though this would be a great opportunity to flex their muscles.

I think this is nothing but a hoax.

By: Upinsmoke

Upinsmoke — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 02:48:02 +0000

Here is the classic example of what I try to get across in my posting. This is diplomacy. This is politics in action. Quietly do one thing and then get behind closed doors and say okay we wont do that anymore if you wont do this anymore and both parties say okay and come out smiling and shaking hands.

This is what GWB and Pelosi should be doing and it would bring this country back to Issues that help the people and help the world instead of polarizing Americans to hate each other Thru their Political parties.

This is what Im talking about. Get er done and spare us the details.

By: Rudi

Rudi — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 20:20:53 +0000

The debris from the Chinese anti-missile test will have an equal chance or probablity to damage or destroy ANYBODIES satelites. As DS mentioned, the US and USSR stopped these test because the debris is a danger to all orbitting sats. Now lasers or an high energy EMP is a better way to disable a sat.

By: The Heretik : MySpace.com/bush

The Heretik : MySpace.com/bush — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 16:48:17 +0000

[...] Bad China, bad. Very bad. The news and the missile may be all too accurate. A very troubling development. Last fall the White House said it had no plans to develop weapons in space. Nevertheless, Michael Krepon, co-founder of the Henry L. Stimson Center, a nonpartisan think tank that follows the space-weaponry issue, said the [Bush] policy changes will reinforce international suspicions that the United States may seek to develop, test and deploy space weapons. The concerns are amplified, he said, by the administration’s refusal to enter negotiations or even less formal discussions on the subject. [...]

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:43:14 +0000

In essence itâ€™s just showing to the world that you can do it. It wonâ€™t do it 30 times, it has to make something very clear.

I think that’s a mature reading of the situation.

By: Michael van der Galien

Michael van der Galien — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:18:28 +0000

Dave: o I agree, it is ‘impolite’ and other countries should say so to China, but an upcoming superpower does stuff like this… because it has to. In essence it’s just showing to the world that you can do it. It won’t do it 30 times, it has to make something very clear.

By: Kim Ritter

Kim Ritter — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:14:21 +0000

While we are focussing all our efforts on thwarting terrorism in the ME, China is thriving. They will eventually outpace us economically and are using their economic muscle to build up their military might. Allowing the Chinese to buy our massive debt is aiding and abetting their future position as a superpower. Iran isn’t the only country that is thrilled to see the US bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan!

By: MinorRipper

MinorRipper — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:13:33 +0000

Wait a minute, I thought we (the USA) were the only ones in the world allowed to do stuff like this??!!
http://www.minor-ripper.blogspot.com

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:09:35 +0000

This is a little more like above-ground nuclear weapons testing than it is like, say, testing a conventional weapon. The Chinese have no way of controlling the shrapnel left over from such a test—nobody does. That’s, basically, why the U. S. and USSR stopped testing such things a generation ago: it was too dangerous.

It’s probably unlikely that any harm down here on earth will result. But it very well may endanger existing satellites, future ones, our shuttles, and so on. And it will be up there a very long time.

It may not be unexpected and it may well be within China’s rights to perform such a test (I’m no expert on the conventions that govern such things or China’s participation in such things). But it’s very, very impolite and the Chinese should be told so.

Unfortunately, we have very little leverage over China that we’re willing to exert so in all likelihood we’ll just have to put up with their boorish behavior.

By: Eural

Eural — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:16:30 +0000

First trilogy or second?

By: Gray

Gray — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:10:08 +0000

Honestly, this makes me rethink my position towards ’star wars’…