Re: A possible other side of the new space project

quoth Guillaume Laurent:

| I hope you're right. However I still have to ask : have you read this
| document
|
| http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf
|
| and what do you make of it ? (page 55 for the space-related issues,
| page 75 for the advocated military budget increase, from 3.5 to 3.8%
| of the GDP)

i haven't read it, but shall, though not at the moment or anytime very 
soon -- i'm kind of overwhelmed with some pressing personal and 
professional issues, and a five-week enforced vacation due to 
flu/pneumonia (i croaked like a frog on cnn) left lots of things 
undone.

though from what you point out, 3.8 % of the gdp for defense in the 
current climate does not seem undue, though if we were to pull our 
bases and people out of europe, we could probably get it back down a 
ways. bosnia and kosovo were not inexpensive and were certainly a 
matter for which europe was better suited than we were; the need for 
our presence in western europe (other, perhaps, than a forward base in 
cooperation with the brits) largely disappeared a decade or more ago. 
it would be interesting then to see if europe could defend itself for 
3.8 percent of its gdp. (and no, i say none of this as an insult or 
taunt. and i do think that there are some serious security issues to be 
faced in europe by europe, or likely soon will be; i take no joy in 
saying it.)
-- 
dep

It's remarkable how quickly a problem goes away once the people with
a vested interest in there being a problem go away. -- Mark Steyn

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