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The coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
argues for economic conversion.
Solar power, not Star Wars
Bruce Gagnon
I n 2005, US Space Com-
mand published Strategic
Master Plan: FY06 and
Beyond, which boldly stated:
"Air Force doctrine views
air, space, and information
as key ingredients for domi-
nating the battlespace and
ensuring superiority. While
our ultimate goals are truly
to `exploit' space, we cannot
fully `exploit' that medium
until we first
`control' it." [Full document
at www.space4peace.org
]
Space satellites were vital in
the invasion of Iraq. In the initial attack, 70% of weapons
were directed to their targets by
space technology.
Whoever controls space wins
all the wars on the Earth below.
In October 2006 (during the
annual Keep Space for Peace
Week organised by the Global
Network Against Weapons &
Nuclear Power in Space), Bush
announced a new National Space
Policy giving the Pentagon the
green light to develop space
weapons capable of destroying
satellites. China quickly
responded by firing a
rudimentary anti-satellite weapon, blowing up one of its
own old satellites as a way of saying to Bush: "You
will not be the master of space."
Industrial complex
Weapons are now the number
one industrial export of the US.
In that situation, what is your
global marketing strategy for
your top product line?
Industrial jobs in the US are
drying up fast. We have no
industrial policy in the US anymore, except military production.
In Colorado Springs, Colorado, there are five military
bases and countless aerospace
production facilities. In a city
with a population of 357,000
people, 47% of the residents
now work for the military-industrial complex.
A sustainable economy
And yet global warming is a fact
of life. Why aren't citizens
demanding that our tax dollars
be used to expand the production of sustainable technologies?
Imagine the jobs created by
building the industrial capacity
to put a solar system on every
house and business in the US!
Japan is the world's leading
producer of solar power and
Germany, which consumes 39%
of all solar panels in the world,
is buying up most of the existing stocks. Why can't we build
solar instead of Star Wars?
In Copenhagen, Denmark,
they have converted a shipyard
to become the world's leading
producer of windmills. Germany
now generates 5% of its electricity with wind power, and
appears on track to meet government targets of 25% by 2025.
Why can't we build windmills
instead of weapons?
The big "YES"
Why don't the peace movement,
the environmental movement,
and the labour movements get
together and create a unified
demand to convert the military-industrial complex to peaceful
production? It's a win-win for
everyone!
We are always saying "NO".
No war for oil. No to Star Wars.
Sometimes we have to do so.
But what is our "YES"? Calling for the conversion of the
military-industrial complex to
peaceful and sustainable production allows us to reach out to a
public that fears the loss of good
jobs. The time has come for us
to share this alternative vision
with a public looking for
answers to the great problems
that exist today.
Bruce K Gagnon is Coordinator of
the Global Network Against
Weapons & Nuclear Power in
Space. He lives in Maine, USA.
www.space4peace.org
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