Rep. Mike Turner’s release of raw intelligence about a Russian satellite system has compromised U.S. intelligence including likely its sources and methods.
Rep. Mike Turner (Tiana Williams/U.S. Air Force)
By Scott Ritter
Special to Consortium News
Earlier this week U.S. Representative Mike Turner, a Republican from Ohio who serves as chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, took the unprecedented step of making available a raw intelligence report to all members of Congress.
Turner issued a public statement which stated that the intelligence “contained information concerning a serious national security threat,” and requesting that President Biden “declassify all information relating to this threat so that Congress, the administration, and our allies can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat.”
A day after Turner released his statement, White House national security spokesman John Kirby took to the podium to confirm that U.S. intelligence officials have information that Russia has obtained a capability that would enable them to attack U.S. satellites, but that this capability was not yet operational.
“First this is not an active capability that’s been deployed and though Russia’s pursuit of this particular capability is troubling, there is no immediate threat to anyone’s safety,” Kirby said. “We’re not talking about a weapon that can be used to attack human beings or cause physical destruction here on Earth.”
According to Kirby, the Russian anti-satellite capability is space based and, if deployed, would violate the 1967 international Outer Space Treaty, which both Russia and the United States, along with 128 other nations, are signatories to.
While Kirby refused to state whether the Russian capability was nuclear, the Outer Space Treaty specifically bans the deployment of “nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction” in orbit or “station weapons in outer space in any other manner.”
For its part, the Russian government has dismissed the talk of a new Russian space weapon as little more than a ruse intended to pressure the U.S. Congress to support aid for Ukraine (the U.S. Senate has approved a $64 billion aid package to Ukraine, but it is currently held up in the House of Representatives, where Speaker Mike Johnson has said it is “dead on arrival.”)
“It’s obvious that Washington is trying to force Congress to vote on the aid bill by hook or by crook,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said. “Let’s see what ruse the White House will use.”
US Satellite Project
While Turner is a staunch supporter of the aid package for Ukraine, the evidence suggests that his gambit regarding the release of intelligence about an emerging Russian anti-satellite capability has nothing to do with Ukraine, and everything to do with a new U.S. satellite system currently being deployed which serves as the foundation upon which the entire future war-fighting capability of the United States is built.
The United States currently maintains an array of satellites surrounding the earth that support intelligence collection, communications connectivity, navigation and guidance and control, without which the U.S. military would not be able to operate as envisioned in supporting the national security needs of the nation.
These satellites, however, are vulnerable to existing anti-satellite weapons possessed by several nations, including Russia and China, and possibly North Korea and Iran.
The U.S. military is rightfully concerned about the possibility that, in any future potential conflict, an enemy possessing anti-satellite capability will seek to destroy the existing U.S. satellites, effectively blinding U.S. forces and disrupting critical navigation and communication capabilities which help provide U.S. military forces with a technological superiority on the battlefield.
Enter the “Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture”, or PWSA, a program undertaken by the Space Development Agency to launch hundreds of networked satellites into low-Earth orbit. The satellites will support a wide variety of military missions, including data transmission, communications and ballistic missile warning and tracking.
The PSWA is mission critical to the success of the Department of Defense’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control concept, which as designed will “enable the Joint Force to use increasing volumes of data, employ automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI), rely upon a secure and resilient infrastructure, and act inside an adversary’s decision cycle.”
A SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., Sept. 2, 2023. This mission carried the Space Development Agency’s second round of Tranche 0 satellites for its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). (U.S. Space Force/ Airman 1st Class Ryan Quijas)
The PSWA, which is anticipated to cost some $14 billion over the course of five years, will eventually include hundreds of optically-connected satellites divided into two basic categories.
The first provides “beyond line-of-sight” (i.e., over the horizon) targeting for ground and maritime time-sensitive targets, enabling supported units to detect targets, track them, and enable them to be destroyed. The second capability is similar to the first, but is designed to shoot down hostile missiles after they have been launched.
Twenty-eight PWSA satellites were launched last year — ten in March and 18 in June. On Wednesday — the same day Turner sent out his cryptic threat message — a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched out of Cape Canaveral in Florida carrying two more PSWA satellites.
While some media outlets — including The New York Times — believe that the connection between the PSWA launch and Turner’s decision to publicize Russia’s emerging anti-satellite capability is purely coincidental, there is an obvious cause and effect relationship that cannot be ignored that suggests otherwise.
First and foremost, the intelligence that Turner was referring to was not new, but rather familiar to the small circle of Representatives and Senators possessing both the security clearances and the need to know to access this information.
Moreover, this particular intelligence was scheduled to be discussed by the White House and the so-called “Gang of Eight” — the leaders of each of the two parties from both the Senate and House of Representatives, and the chairs and ranking minority members of both the Senate Committee and House Committee for intelligence — the following day, Thursday.
By making the issue public, Turner was clearly signaling his frustration over what he believed to be a lack of urgency on the part of both the White House and the Gang of Eight in addressing the emerging Russian anti-satellite capability.
The source of Turner’s frustration could logically extend to the Department of Defense placing so much emphasis on a multi-billion-dollar investment which appears to have been made moot by the Russian anti-satellite development.
The PSWA was designed to be invulnerable to existing anti-satellite weaponry, operating as it did in low-earth orbit and possessing sufficient redundancy along with the ability to rapidly replace any satellites that might cease to function or be taken out by adversaries.
However, current anti-satellite technology involves classic point-to-point interception technology that uses kinetic energy (i.e., direct impact) or explosions within the immediate proximity of the target to destroy the satellite. The “swarm of satellites” approach of the PSWA makes existing anti-satellite weaponry impractical when it comes to disrupting the operations of the PSWA.
The intelligence that Mike Turner is so interested in appears to relate to a Russian weapon designed to detonate a nuclear device in outer space. Such a weapon would destroy much of the PSWA network, immediately rendering impotent much of the U.S. military capacity.
Turner’s concerns didn’t center only on Russian capabilities, but also the Department of Defense insisting on continuing to develop and field the PSWA satellites even though Russia had invalidated the utility of the network in any future conflict involving Russia.
Outer Space Treaty
Sculpture in garden of U.N. headquarters in NY or St. George slaying a dragon created from the shards of two dismantled nuclear missiles, a Soviet SS-20 and an American Pershing II, which were destroyed under the terms of the INF Treaty in 1987. Gift of the Soviet Union in 1990. (U.N. Photo)
The White House has indicated that it will be reaching out to the Russians about this new weapons capability. Given the existence of the Outer Space Treaty, the White House will more than likely accuse Russia of operating in violation of that treaty.
But the United States is not immune to criticism in this regard. Indeed, the Outer Space Treaty makes repeated reference to the “peaceful uses of outer space”, which suggests the “nonmilitary” use of space, or at least activities that reflect “nonaggressive” behavior.
The PSWA, operating as it does as the primary facilitator of the Department of Defense’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control strategy, is the literal manifestation of “military” use of space and/or “aggressive” behavior.
In short, the United States once again uses its treaty relationship with Russia to pursue the sustainment of unilateral military advantage as opposed to seek and maintain an environment conducive to peaceful coexistence.
Indeed, the Russians have hinted at this very position in a memorandum appended to a July 2021 report by the U.N. secretary general on reducing threats in outer space.
“At issue,” the Russian memorandum noted,
“is the development by certain States Members of the United Nations of a space-based missile defense system (including means of interception) and of means of unauthorized interference with orbital infrastructure facilities. The placement in orbit of a large constellation of small satellites also raises questions. There is a growing potential for these tools to be used to compromise the orbital objects of States Members of the United Nations. Furthermore, the mass deployment of such spacecraft hinders the ability of other States to safely launch space launch vehicles and does not contribute to the long-term sustainability of space activities.”
Russia sought new legal commitments and proposed “reaching a principled agreement on the prevention of an arms race in outer space and the preservation of outer space for peaceful purposes and introducing a complete and comprehensive ban on strike weapons in outer space and on any land-, air- or sea-based weapons designed to destroy objects in outer space.”
The United States, in keeping with its past practice of creating ambiguity regarding specificity when it came to international agreements, sought voluntary, non-legally binding “norms, rules and principles of responsible behavior” for space operations designed to complement existing international law, as opposed to creating a new body of binding legal obligations which might interfere with ongoing defense-related activities, such as the PSWA.
These competing diplomatic postures will more than likely be reflected in any future discussions that the United States and Russia have about this unfolding situation.
Future of Arms Control
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at U.N. Security Council in September 2023. (U.N. TV Screenshot)
Pranay Vaddi, the special assistant to the president and senior director for arms control disarmament and nonproliferation at the National Security Council, noted in an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Jan. 18, that “arms control is and continues to be a cornerstone of international security, from a U.S. perspective.”
Russia, Vaddi said, sees “the idea of engaging with the United States on Strategic Arms Control, which they view as being on U.S. terms, as not in their interest if that conversation cannot include some of their other priorities as it relates to the map of Europe, Ukraine itself, and our policy towards Russia outside of arms control,” adding that the Russians have “linked kind of other politics to arms control in a way that has not been done in the post-Cold War era.”
Special assistant Vaddi isn’t wrong — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that Russia believes that current U.S. efforts to reinstate arms control is simply an exercise designed “to establish control over our nuclear arsenal and minimize nuclear risks for itself.”
The future of arms control, Lavrov noted, is contingent on “the West fully renouncing its malicious course aimed at undermining Russia’s security and interests,” altering its stated policy objective of achieving the strategic defeat of Russia in Ukraine.
Lavrov has taken umbrage over U.S. demands to resume inspections of Russian strategic nuclear sites under the provisions of the New START treaty, noting that the American position amounts to saying, “we have declared you an enemy, but we’re ready to talk about how we could look at your strategic nuclear arsenal again, that’s something different.”
Given that the U.S. has withdrawn from a multitude of Cold War-era arms control agreements, including the anti-ballistic missile treaty, the intermediate nuclear forces treaty, and the open skies treaty, and is seen by Russia as negotiating in bad faith the New Start treaty, it is only logical that Russia will look askance at any effort on the part of the U.S. to try to shield what is clearly a military-related activity (the PSWA) behind the outer space treaty.
In short, the prospects of any meaningful engagement between the U.S. and Russia over concerns about a nuclear anti-satellite weapons system still in the development stage is slim to none.
It is here that the folly of Turner’s gambit becomes clear. The U.S. intelligence picture of the emerging Russian nuclear-armed anti-satellite weapon was still in the developing stage. Indeed, the intelligence that Turner was seeking to have declassified has been described as “raw”, as opposed to finished analysis.
This implies that the sources and methods used to collect the intelligence in question would be obvious to all who had access to the intelligence.
While Turner’s statement did not contain anything specific in terms of the intelligence in question, it did set off a media firestorm which, given the realities of Washington, D.C., invariably leading to detailed disclosures which have more than likely compromised the source of the intelligence in question.
This means that at a time when U.S. policy makers require periodic updates as the status of the Russian weapon, the intelligence community is flying blind. This is the worst possible outcome, since now that intelligence has been politicized, it will require decisions to be made which will now have to occur in an informational vacuum.
Turner’s actions were irresponsible in the extreme, bordering on criminally negligent. At a minimum he should be stripped of his security clearances and expelled from the intelligence committee. At a maximum he should be prosecuted under the same legal doctrine that has put Julian Assange behind bars.
Scott Ritter is a former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer who served in the former Soviet Union implementing arms control treaties, in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm and in Iraq overseeing the disarmament of WMD. His most recent book is Disarmament in the Time of Perestroika, published by Clarity Press.
The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.
At least publicly, the Russians are laughing at the whole thing. And pointing out two interesting bits.
Both America and Russia have already tested anti-satellite weapons. Both can knock satellites out without doing anything silly like setting off a nuke in space. Nobody has wanted to escalate that far, but both, and IIRC, China, have that capability, successfully tested.
(The one use for setting off a nuke in space that I can recall being proposed was by the Americans in their Star Wars program. I think it was called an X-Ray Laser, where they set off a nuclear explosion and then tried to direct the energy into killer X-rays down to hit the ICBMs as they were boosting up from the ground. Americans also have launched nuclear powered sats, fortunately, without an accident, so far.)
The other thing the Russians are pointing out is that this is a nice distraction for the American public away from the Ukrainian defenses collapsing at a strategically important little city that the Nationalists had vowed to defend forever and ever. Apparently the Ukrainian Army threw down their weapons and ran, a day before the new General gave the order to retreat. They are showing the videos of wide angle cameras with lots of heat signatures leaving town across the fields, moving fast. Nobody has reorganized a defense within 10 km so far. The interesting question is how this relates to Zelenski firing Zaluhzny, and whether the army is willing to fight for the new general. Historically, that can be an interesting question, but one the Americans don’t ask since they believe they create reality by command so of course the army will fight for a new general…. its just plug and play. History says it doesn’t always work that way.
If the front is collapsing and the Ukrainian Army is throwing down their weapons, the American media would much rather talk about scary Russian nukes in space, from a rep who is conveniently closer to the McConnell-Biden axis of MICIMAT power in DC. You don’t get to be the chairperson of that committee without the support of the defense money.
Old news. Russia’s “space weapon” was revealed as far back as 2019.
If Turner really did leak classified intel he would have been arrested and on his way to long term in a dark place – unless of course he did so on the command of the deep state / MIC.
Space weapons, Navalny’s “murder”, Russian plans to invade Europe … the Empire of lies grows increasingly desperate. And THAT is really scary as there is no telling what those psychopaths will do.
Just think, our leaders COULD be countering global warming and climate change! instead tehy are wasting time and money playing Army. :-(
Is this “Russian satellite” a real thing? Or is it more fantasy fiction, like the “Chinese spy satellite” Biden and Blinken were frothing about a few months ago?
It could be another of several counterpoints
“Furthermore, the mass deployment of such spacecraft hinders the ability of other States to safely launch space launch vehicles and does not contribute to the long-term sustainability of space activities.“
There it is right there. Kessler Syndrome. If these idiots in the pentagon are dumb enough to start a war in space and blow up satellites, say goodbye to GPS, weather prediction, satellite TV, and Elon Musk’s dreams of going to Mars.
As to the mechanics of the supposedly nuclear Russian weapon, wouldn’t a nuclear explosion that could take down the US network also take down the Russian network, among all or nearly all of the others? I know, I know, space is big.
In general, it’s clearly US aggression alone that is responsible for the build up of devastating weapons. Russia, but also China have the advantage of more practical industrial bases. The US weapons industry is saddled with greedy decision makers. Shareholders are concerned with profit above any other consideration. Politicians have spread the industry, and many of the relatively few remaining high paying manufacturing jobs in the US all over the country and into each of their little corners. Politically a rep or senator cannot vote down a major weapons/military contract, laying off potential voters, whether or not the project makes any sense.
If I were to guess, this technology is the Russian response to the X-37B, an unmanned spacecraft that we are sending up to loiter in space traveling from satellite to satellite doing who knows what, for very long duration flights (4 so far). Some people believe its purpose is to mess with the satellites of other countries.
“Joint All-Domain Command and Control” sounds like just another version of the Bush Jr. era “Total Information Awareness,” that was shot down by public opinion and changed into “Terrorism Information Awareness” in the aftermath of 9/11. Hundreds of low-orbit satellites will be doing much more than “looking beyond the horizon,” and it works so well with Klaus Schwab’s admission that “In the new world, you have to accept total transparency. It will become integrated into your personality. But if you have nothing to hide you shouldn’t be afraid.” Who other than a monster would tell people to be ready to have their personalities integrated with something they haven’t chosen for themselves? Authority wants nothing more than to be associated with destiny. Be very afraid.
Here’s a potentially related article that lays bare the exposure of the modern digital age.
“In his newly published book, Nuclear High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse, Steven Starr shows that all it takes is one nuclear explosion to shut down the United States and throw the population back into the Dark Ages. The electric power grid would be destroyed along with the communications system, the cooling systems at nuclear power plants and all electronic devices. The reason is that civilian infrastructure is not protected from Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP). The military has taken steps to shield its weapon and communication systems, but nothing has been done to protect civilian infrastructure. Bills mandating EMP protection have been defeated in Congress. ”
hxxps://www.globalresearch.ca/nuclear-high-attitude-electromagnetic-pulse-the-united-states-has-zero-national-security/5848897
May 2023
Xxxx://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/may/28/us-ready-to-fight-in-space-military-official
The militarization of space, formerly banned, was opened up by Trump. Though I am skeptical of the scaremongering of anyone connected to the Pentagon, CIA, military industries or our inseparably embedded media we live in monstrously dangerous times. More people need to be informed of the tenuous reality in which we live. Some do what they can to spread awareness
hxxps://thebulletin.org/premium/2024-01/how-my-gen-z-students-learned-to-start-worrying-and-dismantle-the-bomb/#post-heading
Scott – hoping you read comments, a question about the Putin interview:
At the outset of the invasion, when Russian tanks/troops stalled outside Kiev, I think I recall you writing that this was a move to shape the battlefield, e.g draw U troops toward Kiev in order to ease the attack to the east. The mainstream media reported this as Russian disarray.
But in the Carlson interview, Putin said he withdrew and held off at Kiev as a gesture of good will during negotiations in Istanbul.
So does this change your assessment of the original Russian strategic objectives with respect to taking Kiev and all of Ukraine and the tactics around Kiev?
Adding to James Keye, the existential threat is imminent. Several scientists have revealed their opinions that only 20% of the ozone layer is intact and that each satellite launch spews gases and heavy metals into the atmosphere that destroy hundreds of square kilometres of ozone. US solid fuels are the most destructive, spreading chlorine gas in the launch vicinity and in the upper atmosphere. With thousands of such launches envisaged in the near future, scientists say, life itself on earth is now threatened. Now, not later.
Meanwhile, the stealth installation of a missile launching platform in north Australia means a certain Chinese retaliatory strike will vaporise fuel stores sending a massive cloud of chlorine gas across the Gove Peninsula killing 4000 civilians within 20 minutes.
The entire war, communications, spy, and navigation paradigm must be rethought, now.
Intriguing. I was not aware of this underemphasized potential risk to the ozone layer that is ostensibly on the road to recovery in approximately 2050 by most recent accounts (save those by largely disregarded voices such as Qing-Bin Lu) – see “Ozone Hole Goes Large Again,” European Space Agency, April 10, 2023.
Kay Nolan, “Thousands of Satellites are Launched Into Low Orbit – It Could Harm the Ozone Layer,” The Washington Post, March 5, 2023
Regarding US solid fuels: Do you remember smoke stack pollution? After the 80’s laws, the factories were legally required to store it instead of spewing it out. Well, that is very expensive and they do run out of space. So what they have been doing is selling that waste to the military after reducing it to nano particle size that evades EPA regulatory tests. This has been used for decades now in clandestine activities called geoengineering and other names. It is ruining the stmosphere, oceans, and soils, killing the bees, causing Alzheimers, interfering with the healthful rays of the sun and letting highly radioactive rays through. I say “clandestine” because they say it is not occurring or “not yet” occurring and censor communication about it. A lot of serious scientific research has been done on it at Geoengineering Watch dot org.
“We have literally reached the point where we cannot survive the present geopolitical conflict paradigm.”
The notion of paradigm is linear within “tolerances” and hence is based on a notion that reform is an option in ignorance of varying purposes.
Hence the ongoing process of a growing sum of some is to facilitate the transcendence of “the present geopolitical conflict paradigm ” by limiting, subject to context, emulation of the purposes and practices of opponents with their complicity in their own transcendence by seeking to sustain “the present geopolitical conflict paradigm “.
Ergo your assertion of “While I fully recognize the reality of these machinations and the felt necessity of the various parties involved” is misinformed rendering you and others complicit in their own transcendence.
Your clarification is much appreciated.
As my school English teacher correctly noted of my adolescent attempts at creative writing, you are in danger of becoming verbose.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Nothing will get better until the US gives up its clear desire for global hegemony.
Don’t buy into the theory that Russia would use a satellite to blow up a nuke in space. If they wanted to do that, it would be easier and cheaper to launch a nuke from the ground and blow it up near satellites. The version that makes the most sense to me is that they want to use a nuclear reactor to power a directed energy weapon such as a laser or microwaves to fry satellites. Don’t know if that is true but it makes more sense.
How is the new Pentagon PSWA ‘invulnerable’? That depends on the cost of launching replacement nodes to be faster and cheaper than the S500 missiles being used to take them out. My head spins on that one, do we have a massive container shuttle that can drop dozens of these things into orbit at a time?
I guess Russia, China and co. are developing asymmetrical warfare not only for a military advantage, but also to force the west to run into costs, debt, economic destabilization in order to catch up. The numerous US bases around the world are becoming obsolete and the costs to maintain them, update them to a fast changing military tech and weaponry (whether proven efficient or not) are prohibitive even for a rich country like US. Costs that neither Russia or China have and can put all resources in developing highly mobile weapons and “bases”
If I understood well, there were some talks to hand over some US bases to the hosting countries, perhaps that could be a solution; Trump might go for that and use all the resources for missile defense system and match other weapons from the east.
US has realized two things: 1) there is no longer an ocean that protect the country, 2) they no longer possess the military advantage and might. If the Russian and Chinese claims of some superior weapons are real then US and NATO should really worry, but the opportunity costs to catch up with them is huge in terms of socioeconomic development…
The only solution is to negotiate with both Russia and China and gain time.
The war in Ukraine has had the opposite effect, instead of weakening Russia, it has made it even more powerful and the natural alliance with China has made those two countries unmatchable in military terms, perhaps already now, but even more in the future regardless all the sanctions.
“and the costs to maintain them, update them to a fast changing military tech and weaponry ”
Not to mention the 180 or so Golf Courses on those bases.
I think I remember that from an old report … the number of golf course maintained overseas by the DOD. And I would have to suppose that the CIA does not allow a “Golf Course Gap” with the Pentagon. With their black budget, I doubt we’d ever know how many holes they have.
“In short, the United States once again uses its treaty relationship with Russia to pursue the sustainment of unilateral military advantage as opposed to seek and maintain an environment conducive to peaceful coexistence (Scott Ritter).”
Always the same bad faith approach and then whining when it’s out maneuvered. We have reached the nadir of Western leadership as exemplified by the Biden admin.
“Always the same bad faith approach and then whining when it’s out maneuvered. We have reached the nadir of Western leadership as exemplified by the Biden admin.”
To paraphrase Mr. Shakespeare’s observation, all the world is a stage where coercive social relations self-misrepresented as “The United States of America including Israel and friends” attempt to perform comedies that they deem to be “perception management projects” thereby becoming complicit in their own transcendence.
“The United States of America including Israel and friend’s” notions of facilitation and purpose are linear within “tolerances”, and hence are based on a notion that reform is an option in ignorance of varying purposes, in hope as illustrated by Mr. Ritter “interpretation of datastreams” that:
““In short, the United States once again uses its treaty relationship with Russia to pursue the sustainment of unilateral military advantage as opposed to seek and maintain an environment conducive to peaceful coexistence (Scott Ritter).”
linear within tolerances.
Sounds very Newtonian. A world of cause and effect. Which of course was going out with the Victorian Age. We know now we live in a Quantum world. Arrogant Newtonians in a world they really don’t understand as well as they think they do. They believe their old thinking can never be wrong, but they don’t have Einstein’s imagination to really watch two people throwing a ball on a moving train.
Is it a bad thing for the machinations and tools of US “Intel” to be laid bare?
Might that not save the world from a lot of death and destruction – and thus save the US from a lot of blowback and more wars?
It is a necessary thing that men of some conscience may be prepared for sacrifices. Being prepared for several is an indication of one’s valuing of humanity. Each meeting, a trial, would have been the several. “Still more to come” is what is striking.
So many have gone through this and who can work is ahead.
Will voting for Michelle Obama mean that America will get it’s a$$ off the Man’s Border??
“arms control is and continues to be a cornerstone of international security, from a U.S. perspective.”
Translation: The U.S. will control the arms.
“Translation: The U.S. will control the arms.”
Translation between languages is never an option due to differential nuances catalysed by attempt.
Hence interpretation or silence are the only valid options which some seek to transcend by conflation of attempt with achievement as per your “interpretation” quoted above.
I think it no longer matters which nation is signatory to which agreement. As we can see with the case of israel totally ignoring the Court of Justice, doing as it pleases and as is convenient. We adhere to the law when it is suitable…
While I fully recognize the reality of these machinations and the felt necessity of the various parties involved, the constant drumbeat in the ‘back of my mind’ was that all of this was taking place in the thin layer of planetary living space being compromised by these and thousands of other actions…at a time when the best scientists studying the biophysical challenges to environmental stability are making clear the necessity for monumental changes in how social, economic and political systems act on the world. These preparations for ‘defeating the enemy’ distract from the consequences of the failure of ‘environmental free services’ and exacerbate both the speed and dimensions of such failures. We have literally reached the point where we cannot survive the present geopolitical conflict paradigm.
Thank you, James, for pointing out the red herring of a deadly distraction from issues critical to continued human life on this planet. Military interests are continually pushing and shoving their way to the head of the table and disregarding all other interests but their own selfish and destructive desires. Turner’s untimely release of raw intelligence data unfortunately muddies the water and plays directly into the hands of those who wish to define everything in terms of military primacy and dominance without regard to other international issues of greater concern and merit.
well said.
also Scott Ritter is a great source of information, clearly describing the horrendous consequences of this space-based arms race. so much fear for my children’s future!
Your children really are the only hope for the future, Mary Lou. Give them lots of love and educate them the old fashioned way, reading, writing, using dictionaries and etymology books, before the best things of our language and culture disappear. Words have actual meanings. Offense is not defence. Terrorizing people by bullying and antagonizing the world is not national “security”. Pouring billions into weapons while the 40’s train tracks deteriorate does not make us “safe”.
I agree James.All of this war prep and actual wars are being conducted in a era when the best science tells us that if all of this is not stopped by the development of a more peaceful system plus a rapid turn around to non-fossil fuels energy the very viability of the earth for human and other animal existence is at stake. For thousands of years ‘prophets’ without cause or reason have been foretelling the end of the world has an uninhabitable home -without any but primitive beliefs , but a situation that became a scientist possibility circa mid twentieth century. Green-House blanket gases trapping in unlivable heat or the discharge of mega and multi nuclear explosions .No gods thundering behind the clouds could have devised a more effective 6th extinction
The technical term is that humanity is f%@%@ed!
The forests in the far north were burning last summer. Back when I first started to read about global warming, they warned of “tipping points.” Where the warming effects so far unleash even more warming effects. One of those was all of the carbon and greenhouse gasses trapped in peat-like frozen tundra. Frozen tundra, up there where the forests are burning. Ooops. Not only did last summer release a bunch of carbon into the air from the massive fires, if its hot enough for the trees to burn, its got to be warm enough to melt some frozen tundra – even before the heat of the forest fire swept through.
There are also reports that an antarctic ice sheet known as Doomsday ain’t looking very healthy either.
And, when humanity appears to be already too late in reacting because they’ve been too greedy, Wall Street decides to embark on the most environmentally destructive, greenhouse gas releasing process possible … a world war for the world domination of Wall Street. Its time to cue Jim Morrison ….. this is the end. It will take awhile for it to unfold, but from here on, unfold it must. I’d use the analogy of a snowball rolling down hill, but in the future, if somehow somebody reads this, they’d have no friggin idea what a ‘snowball’ is.