Analyst - 11/1/2008 3:51 PMMany people can't live without an enemy, without something to be afraid of, something to fight. Way too often this something are other people or peoples. I am pretty sure these "China is a threat people" have their own individual profit agenda. The Soviet Union does not serve this agenda any more, nor does Iraq. Iran, well not as much as hoped. But China. Cover and duck. Sad.Analyst
Stevo - 11/1/2008 6:27 PMThat's what happens when you trade with a communist nation - the money goes straight to the state, which happens to own the companies you're trading with.How we ever got to the point where we're chummy with a communist nation that stands against everything America stands for is what's really sad. As long as we can use them for financing our debt, bailing out our banks, and making us cheap goods, who cares what their motives are. We'll just keep our heads in the sand.
first launch against a Lacrosse signals intelligence satellite
mikes - 12/1/2008 11:50 AMI was under the impression Lacrosse is a radar imaging sat. Is it SIGINT as well?
Stevo - 12/1/2008 7:27 AMWhat's sad is how the people and the government of this country turn a blind eye to China because of the financial benefits of doing so. Open your eyes America. Every time you shop at Walmart you're funding the purchase of Chinese airplanes, ships, and missiles designed for use against our military, and ASAT missiles to knock out our birds. That's what happens when you trade with a communist nation - the money goes straight to the state, which happens to own the companies you're trading with.How we ever got to the point where we're chummy with a communist nation that stands against everything America stands for is what's really sad. As long as we can use them for financing our debt, bailing out our banks, and making us cheap goods, who cares what their motives are. We'll just keep our heads in the sand.
Analyst - 12/1/2008 12:39 AMStevo, you partly prove me right: The real danger from China is economic, not military.But why do you assume China will be a military threat for the US? Because the US acted this way since WWII (ask Iraq twice, or Iran, Vietnam, Lybia …, but not North Korea lately)? Nuclear powers don’t go to war with each other.
khallow - 12/1/2008 12:40 PMQuoteAnalyst - 12/1/2008 12:39 AMStevo, you partly prove me right: The real danger from China is economic, not military.But why do you assume China will be a military threat for the US? Because the US acted this way since WWII (ask Iraq twice, or Iran, Vietnam, Lybia …, but not North Korea lately)? Nuclear powers don’t go to war with each other.Actually, they do. There's numerous examples of the US and the USSR fighting each other. They just did it through proxies. I don't see the US and China shooting down each other's satellites, but I can see a proxy doing that.
edkyle99 - 11/1/2008 9:29 AMIt is a flawed analysis based on that incorrect assumption. Perhaps China could knock out many more GPS satellites than assumed. - Ed Kyle
edkyle99 - 12/1/2008 2:34 PMNot to mention that China and the U.S. actually fought each other in Korea - a fight that neither side was able to win decisively. Korea and Taiwan are two places where it is entirely conceivable that the U.S. and China could become militarily entangled again.
MartianBase - 13/1/2008 12:39 AMDon't they have a number of subs ?and those mobile launchers ? You see them at parades, a missile made to be launched from an artillery truck like the Ruskies did
Don't see it (war with China) ever happening ...The strategic situation changed greatly in late 60s and 70s, with China developing its own ICBMs and Nukes, since then we could never fight each other directly ...
MartianBase - 13/1/2008 1:39 AMDon't see it ever happening, unless some idiot Ayatollah takes power in Bejing or some Doomdays Christian takes over the Whitehouse.
kevin-rf - 13/1/2008 10:05 PM{snip}It will be interesting to see if China becomes more agressive as it ages rapidly thanks to "One Child".
hesidu - 14/1/2008 4:22 PMI think China has more reason to freak out than US. China has yet to demostrate the possible ability to destory a satellite in orbit, but US has done that much more times.
hesidu - 14/1/2008 3:22 PMI think China has more reason to freak out than US. China has yet to demostrate the possible ability to destory a satellite in orbit, but US has done that much more times. US has many military allies all around the world, and has much more military strength than China. US is the only country which has throw bomb to other countries and killed many innocent people in recent years. US has militay base around China and calling China a threat. This is just like some strong guy hanging around you house carrying a gun, and calling you are a threat. And this guy always do what he think is right and don't listen to others. So what do you think you should do ?
Analyst - 14/1/2008 7:08 AMI wanted to response here, but this thread only makes me sick. Fear is all arround. And you are the good guys. Please enter your nuclear bunkers. Or better destroy the world so you too are dead and nothing of this matters anymore (not that everything matters, but this is another story)
hesidu - 14/1/2008 1:22 PMI think China has more reason to freak out than US. China has yet to demostrate the possible ability to destory a satellite in orbit, but US has done that much more times. US has many military allies all around the world, and has much more military strength than China. US is the only country which has throw bomb to other countries and killed many innocent people in recent years. US has militay base around China and calling China a threat. This is just like some strong guy hanging around you house carrying a gun, and calling you are a threat. And this guy always do what he think is right and don't listen to others. So what do you think you should do ?
khallow - 16/1/2008 2:13 PM I doubt anyone knows who authorized this ASAT test and whether they will do so again. This is reasonable information to expect since an ASAT test endangers a lot of valuable equipment in orbit.
Analyst - 14/1/2008 7:08 AMI wanted to response here, but this thread only makes me sick. Fear is all arround. And you are the good guys. Please enter your nuclear bunkers. Or better destroy the world so you too are dead and nothing of this matters anymore (not that everything matters, but this is another story) Analyst
daver - 16/1/2008 9:00 PM Now, I'm going to go in the back yard and make sure my wife is still digging our bunker. :bleh:
daver - 17/1/2008 3:00 AMQuoteAnalyst - 14/1/2008 7:08 AMI wanted to response here, but this thread only makes me sick. Fear is all arround. And you are the good guys. Please enter your nuclear bunkers. Or better destroy the world so you too are dead and nothing of this matters anymore (not that everything matters, but this is another story) Analyst I've thought about this post for the last couple of days. My first thought is maybe you should read a history book. To assume that our satellites will never be attacked is naive.
Space Possum - 17/1/2008 9:39 AMAnother angle to consider is an asymmetrical conflict, the type that causes nightmares for military planners.Imagine some sort of confrontation in the western Pacific-Korea-Taiwan area. U.S. and Allied forces are in position pre-staged in case actual fighting breaks out with a vast array of high tech gadgets (UAV's surveillance platforms etc).For whatever reason, China decides to make a move toward Taiwan. They, or a willing accomplice (N. Korea?) launch a (relatively small) nuclear weapon out of the atmosphere and detonate it above the gathered allies. The Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) fries all of those fancy gadgets leaving them in effect blind and unable to communicate. The Chinese weapon systems are relatively less sophisticated and less vulnerable to EMP. The blast would cause no injuries to people on the ground and that creates another situation. How would the Allies justify military action when they have suffered no casualties? The world press, ever ready to slam the U.S. would create an uproar against the "evil agressors" of the U.S. and its allies and praise the "enlightened and humane" actions by the Chinese as they "bloodlessly" take what they claim is theirs. This scenario is of course a simplification, but it is something to think about. I just hope someone on our side has!