(OT:) China warns US, "Don't shoot down satellite"

China is telling the US to not carry out missile defense tests. The US should respond by emphasizing that the satellite will be intercepted only to protect human life, and this will be no missile test because the missile system has already been perfected. As long as GW Bush behaves toward China the way he has toward Africa, there won't be any problems.

Why should China tell us not to caryy out missle defense tests? They did one of their own last year!

Exactly.

Think of this: your computer was probably made in China, and if not, the parts probably were.

China has big plans for 2020: Chinese man on the moon, Chinese rover to Mars, Chinese this, Chinese that.

Have any idea how easy it is to program your BIOS to kill your computer on the first day of Chinese New Year, 2020?

There was a good reason: They invented fireworks, and they're trying to modernize the concept.

Somewhere on this planet, there seems to be a school where government employees from all nations learn to make stupid public announcements. Here's another, from an article about our attempt to shoot down the satellite:

"A hurry-up program to adapt the missile for this anti-satellite mission was completed in a matter of weeks; Navy officials say the changes will be reversed once this satellite is down."

Changes will be reversed? Let's consider the possible interpretations of that statement:

1) They'll undo the changes made to the specific missile that was launched, and is now in pieces. Nah...that can't be right. 2) They'll tell all involved in the work to forget what they knew or learned while adapting the missile for this mission. That's dumb. That can't be right. 3) We will be sure to have a few modified missiles ready at all times for another such mission, but the Navy doesn't want anybody to believe this. Also known as the "with a wink and a nod" school of public announcements. We only built one ha ha ha ha.

I think #3 most closely matches the stupidity of China asking us not to snuff the satellite.

If one did a proper search they would discover they did not modify the missiles. The Navy modified the system that controls the missiles so as to hit a satellite rather than another missile. Reported to be at a cost of

30 to 40 million dollars

Guess for the same reason the USA tells other countries not to develop nukes while they have them theirselves?

Who is the USA to decide such things?

And, in the same line of thought, who is China to decide such things for other countries.

This is where political connections come into play, it isn't easy.

-- Martijn

Sometimes we pay them to develop nukes, while at the same time telling them not to. What a show. Pass the popcorn.

Too bad. They have their own anti-satellite missle system, and it works.

What are they afraid of?

When you're dealing with an Iranian l00natic, I see no problem. When you're dealing with a nation like Pakistan, that at any time could be overrun by Taliban, I see no problem.

Very true.

We enabled Iran to get nuclear technology 25 years ago, intentionally.

Oh. What's Pakistan's government gonna do? Nuke their own country?

Losing their pride.

That just put a smile on my face, thanks for that.

-- Martijn

Hmmmm.....

No, silly. If Taliban gains control they have a nice arsenal of nucular weapons at their disposal.

Wouldn't that be nice.

Where's Reagan buried? Go take a shit on his grave. He intentionally arranged for Pakistant to have nuclear weapons.

Intentionally. I mean, he meant to, and he intentionally kept our intelligence agencies from putting a stop to it.

Take a big, steamy shit right on Reagan's grave.

Does that sound odd to you?

Hitting a satellite, sitting in orbit over a fixed point of the earth, is a far cry from hitting a fast moving missile or a falling satellite LOL