Thomas Lifton, is right, this is insane, but insanity is the defining characteristic of the Biden administration. Dropping out of the testing of anti-satellite missiles in simply a form of surrender, perhaps a death wish, certainly it indicates the the US elites are on the side of the CCP as their minds have been eroded by leftism.
“This is flat-out insane:
During her first-ever visit to Vandenberg Space Force Base April 18, 2022, Vice President Kamala Harris announced the U.S. is implementing a self-imposed ban on anti-satellite weapons tests in an effort to encourage more responsible behavior in space. She made the announcement during an all-call in front of more than 200 members of the Space Force and Air Force.
Harris, who chairs the National Space Council, also called on other nations to make similar commitments and to work together in establishing this as a norm, saying such efforts benefit all nations. “It is clear there is strong interest among our international partners to develop these norms. We must write the new rules of the road, and we will lead by example,” she said.
This move hands space war superiority to Russia and China. They are free to develop anti-satellite weapons able to cripple our economy and warfighting ability by knocking out satellites that are critical to .our communications, GPS, and other functions. And we will not be able to retaliate because we are not developing our own comparable capacity. It’s roughly like announcing during the Korean War that we will no longer develop jet fighter aircraft and we hope that Chicoms and Soviets will follow suit.
The reason given for the ban, according to a White House Fact Sheet:
This commitment addresses one of the most pressing threats to the security and sustainability of space, as demonstrated by Russia’s November 2021 destructive direct ascent ASAT missile test. The People’s Republic of China conducted a similar test in 2007. The destruction of space objects through direct-ascent ASAT missile testing is reckless and irresponsible. The long-lived debris created by these tests now threaten satellites and other space objects that are vital to all nations’ security, economic, and scientific interests, and increases risk to astronauts in space. Overall, these tests jeopardize the long-term sustainability of outer space and imperil the exploration and use of space by all nations.
Developing a shared understanding of what constitutes safe and responsible space activities contributes to a more stable space environment by reducing the risk of miscommunication and miscalculation. This is especially important as there is an ever-increasing number of states and non-governmental entities that rely on space services and space assets which are vulnerable to debris.
Space junk, including that from satellites destroyed in anti-satellite missile (ASAT) tests, is a hazard, all right. But the way to address that is via a push for a treaty, not unilateral disarmament hoping that our deadly rivals will want to play nice.
Norms only work when they are enforceable by social sanctions. When it comes to warfare with national survival at stake, and when tyrants rule combatant nations, norms lose their power.
Is this another example of Kamala Harris being set up to look a fool?”