Star Wars VII- The Chinese strike back

[Markas]

The Chinese have launched a missile and blown up a satellite.(Neutral view)

The reds have fired a death-kill rocket and annihilated a harmless satellite in orbit, probably to test for war!(reactionary view)

Those harmless Chinese have-within their rights- test fired a missile system. Possibly to warn potential enemies of the technology at their disposal. (liberal view)

So which is it? Personally I think they're within their rights to do so, as America has a flirted with Star Wars for as long as I can recall (Reagan to be honest) and they always seem keen on keeping par with the only superpower left.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/6276543.stm

[Holger Danske]

Let them play with their toys. I'd like to see another Superpower so the World isn't dominated by politicians in Washington, that only cares for their own personal profit.

[LoZz]

Let them play with their toys. I'd like to see another Superpower so the World isn't dominated by politicians in Washington, that only cares for their own personal profit.

like the chinese will be any better

[Daovonnaex]

Let them play with their toys. I'd like to see another Superpower so the World isn't dominated by politicians in Washington, that only cares for their own personal profit.

like the chinese will be any better

Of course the Chinese won't be any better. The question to ask is simple? Is China a state? Yes, of course it is. The state is an institution of pure violence, and it is axiomatic that large, powerful states will exercise their might. The United States were conceived in liberty, and today the United States is (significant change--plural to singular) a global empire abroad with a massive police state at home. Even Sweden and the Netherlands once committed horrific atrocities when they were great powers.

China's anti-satellite system makes perfect sense. In the event of a Sino-American conflict over Taiwan, the US would be relying on satellites for intelligence, navigation, and communication. Being able to attack these satellites would allow China to nullify much of the US technological advantage.

[Erik]

Being able to attack these satellites would allow China to nullify much of the US technological advantage.

Crashing a rocket into an orbiting satellite isn't that much of an achievement, though.
If you can dock your rocket to a space-station (and America,Europe,Russia and Japan all can), then how hard can it be to crash into something?

This looks like nothing more than a proof of concept.
Or maybe they were just really, really annoyed with that old telecom satellite for some reason. (conspiracy nuts: come up with a silly reason why that satellite eat had to die, and you heart out)

[Daovonnaex]

None, the casualties would be too great to accept with todays tolorance towards war casualties. In a all out war USA and India would be victorious, but the cost would still be incredible high, and most likely not worth it.

War is almost never worth it. It brings death and destruction. There are a few rare occasions where a just war is better than an evil peace, but generally speaking war should be avoided as much as possible.

Personally I wouldn't underestimate the Chinese military machine, since it's catching up with the Americans and Europeans on the tech stage, and has FAR more available manpower - Over 8 million men are in service atm.

China has "only" 2.8 million men in service, and their military lags badly in technology (possibly irrelevant--US technology is very vulnerable to asymmetric warfare).

Besides why would China or USA have any interrest in a major war that would completely destroy the world economy for many decades.. perhaps centuries!?

Let's ask our friends Kaiser Wilhelm II and the Right Honorable H.H. Asquith, shall we?

In my view it was absolutely wrong and deserves the international condemnation. You see one of the primary problems with all this is actually a technical one. If you blow up a satellite in orbit it creates a massive amount of small debris. Even small debris can be devastating to objects such as satellites (many of them vital) and even to stations due to their extremetly high velocities.

To do this without warning threatens all international governments and companies interests unnecessarily. Think what would happen if GPS suddenly went offline etc.

I would have to agree with this view. It wasn't something that immediately came to mind. A good point!

Crashing a rocket into an orbiting satellite isn't that much of an achievement, though.
If you can dock your rocket to a space-station (and America,Europe,Russia and Japan all can), then how hard can it be to crash into something?

This looks like nothing more than a proof of concept.
Or maybe they were just really, really annoyed with that old telecom satellite for some reason. (conspiracy nuts: come up with a silly reason why that satellite eat had to die, and you heart out)

I didn't say this was an amazing feat of technology, merely a logical military development which allows China to nullify a major US advantage in the event of war. A lot of US military technology is very vulnerable to asymmetric attack like this. A carrier battlegroup, for instance, can typically deal with a few anti-ship missiles with various countermeasures (Phalanx batteries, chaff, flares, anti-missile missiles, etc.). However, it would be a simple measure to rain down hundreds of cruise missiles on a carrier battlegroup, completely overwhelming its defense measures and sending billions of dollars worth of steel to a watery grave.

[Holger Danske]

like the chinese will be any better

At least there will be balance in the World...

[LoZz]

At least there will be balance in the World...

alot of people moan about the USA being a super power, and realy i would prefer the usa to be a superpower over china any day of the week! the usa may make mistakes but i dont think they are anyway near as bad as china can be

[Ummon]

Let them play with their toys. I'd like to see another Superpower so the World isn't dominated by politicians in Washington, that only cares for their own personal profit.

Well of course, better have a world torn between politicians in Washington and party bureaucrats in Beijing, groups which obviously both only care for their own personal profit.

[Bwaho]

I will be rooting for the Americans in this arms race

[Lord Rahl]

I will be rooting for the Americans in this arms race

Ya damn right.

The US already has a vast majority of the world's commercial and military satellites in space. If China wants to show off their stuff they can. They just need to remember who they're showing their stuff off to.

[Erik]

So which is it? Personally I think they're within their rights to do so, as America has a flirted with Star Wars for as long as I can recall (Reagan to be honest) and they always seem keen on keeping par with the only superpower left.

Yes, what the Chinese have done is no different from what America has done in the past, and America has always refused to sign any ban on space weapons.
I'm not happy to see weapons in space, but you can't really blame China.

ps: the satellite was one of their own, obviously.

[danzig]

Yes, what the Chinese have done is no different from what America has done in the past, and America has always refused to sign any ban on space weapons.
I'm not happy to see weapons in space, but you can't really blame China.

ps: the satellite was one of their own, obviously.

"Star Wars" was defensive in nature and the reason the US hasnt signed off on any ban on space weapons is exactly because of threats like this...the dependency by western nations especially the US on satellites make it FAR too valuable an area for them to box themselves in. I dont see how you *cant* blame China if people 'blame' the US for starting the whole thing with ideas like Star Wars or refusing to sign a ban since this ups the stakes more which of course will force the US to response and then China again and so on.

I think few can argue testing something to destroy a satellite can hardly be called a purely defensive weapon...great so now we'll see US satellites being developed with ability to shoot down in coming threats.

[Darkragnar]

Well if things go well The US could have an Major Ally Close to Chinese Soil like that never had before , im talking about India although im sure India wont be able to compete against China Single Handedly but Its Economy is growing up at a tremendous rate too and the Indian Elephant could be used as a counter Balance against the Growing Power of the Chinese Dragon in South East Asia.

And Indian and China don't have any love for each other either ,they've already had a War together and The Root of cause of the War still hasn't been resolved yet after all these years.

[Last Roman]

Well if things go well The US could have an Major Ally Close to Chinese Soil like that never had before , im talking about India although im sure India wont be able to compete against China Single Handedly but Its Economy is growing up at a tremendous rate too and the Indian Elephant could be used as a counter Balance against the Growing Power of the Chinese Dragon in South East Asia.

And Indian and China don't have any love for each other either ,they've already had a War together and The Root of cause of the War still hasn't been resolved yet after all these years.

The American Eagle and Indian Elephant take on the Chinese Dragon! Which will win?!!

[Bwaho]

what animal would represent europe?

[Last Roman]

what animal would represent europe?

I could totally take that and run with it, but I wont.

[Holger Danske]

The American Eagle and Indian Elephant take on the Chinese Dragon! Which will win?!!

None, the casualties would be too great to accept with todays tolorance towards war casualties. In a all out war USA and India would be victorious, but the cost would still be incredible high, and most likely not worth it.
Personally I wouldn't underestimate the Chinese military machine, since it's catching up with the Americans and Europeans on the tech stage, and has FAR more available manpower - Over 8 million men are in service atm.

Besides why would China or USA have any interrest in a major war that would completely destroy the world economy for many decades.. perhaps centuries!?

what animal would represent europe?

humans!

[Bwaho]

I could totally take that and run with it, but I wont

oh please, humor me

Personally I wouldn't underestimate the Chinese military machine, since it's catching up with the Americans and Europeans on the tech stage, and has FAR more available manpower - Over 8 million men are in service atm.

10.000 nukes will take care of that

Besides why would China or USA have any interrest in a major war that would completely destroy the world economy for many decades.. perhaps centuries!?

sooner or later they will step on eachothers toes and then it will only be a matter of who steps the hardest...

[Markas]

Besides why would China or USA have any interrest in a major war that would completely destroy the world economy for many decades.. perhaps centuries!?

Just settle it with a game of Starcraft. Best of three.

A good animal to represent Europe could be a rabbit. If that nature documentary Monty Python and the Holy Grail is anything to go by, they're deadly.

Where is this space program going? Did the Chinese say they'd put a man on the moon by 2007? Surely they have the equivalent tech' to late 60's America.