May 20, 2005
Speaking of “Star Wars” (as I was yesterday), the Air Force has asked President Bush to approve a national security directive that could move the United States closer to putting weapons in space.
If approved, using space for military purposes would be a shift in American policy and would surely be opposed by some of our so-called allies and perhaps all of our enemies.
There are many obstacles to weapons in space, including technological, as well as political and diplomatic.
The problem is not what we wish would happen, but what our enemies intend.
If China, for instance, could gain an advantage over America with a space weapon, does anyone doubt they would do it?
It’s a nasty world and we had better be always prepared to deal with it, whether the challenges are on earth or in space.
I still favor the weapons shield first articulated by Ronald Reagan.
Ask yourself which country you would rather hold the balance of power in the world – the United States of America, or a communist or radical Islamic regime.
I’m Cal Thomas in Washington.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C. Watch his television show, After Hours with Cal Thomas, on the Fox News Channel, Saturdays at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
