What's New Robert L. Park 12 Feb 2011

WHAT=92S NEW   Robert L. Park   Friday, 11 Feb 2011   Washington, DC

1. SON OF STAR WARS:  THE LOBBIESTS WIN ONE MORE FOR THE GIPPER.

In a 1984 in speech to the nation President Reagan called on the scientif=
ic=20
community to render nuclear missiles "impotent and obsolete" with a=20
futuristic missile-defense system, dubbed "Star Wars" by the media, that=20
would use powerful space-based lasers to zap enemy missiles out of the=20
sky.  Reagan had been sold this bucket of bovine excrement by Edward=20
Teller, a physicist well known for wild exaggeration in support of his=20
right-wing beliefs. In 1987, the American Physical Society, released its=20
largest and most important study, "The Science and Technology of Directed=
=20
Energy Weapons."  It zapped no no the Strategic Defense Initiative.  It=20
concluded that a global shield such as "Star Wars" was impossible for the=
=20
foreseeable future.  Nine years and $30 billion after President Reagan's=20
1984 speech, the Strategic Defense Initiative, having accomplished nothin=
g,=20
was terminated.  All that's left of space-based missile defenses are arti=
st=20
renderings, and the YAL-1A, a gigantic chemical laser, crammed into a=20
lumbering Boeing 747.  If you ask what it's for, they reply "testing."  I=
f=20
we learned anything from 9/11 it is that, against this enemy, sophisticat=
ed=20
weapons are not a defense.   Secretary of Defense Gates wanted the YAL-1A=
=20
taken out of the budget; for the lobbyists, however, it's a pipeline into=
=20
the treasury.  On Monday the Obama administration will submit its budget=20
request for fiscal 2012.  I'm betting the YAL=961A will be in it.  I supp=
ose=20
it could incapacitate an enemy with laughter.

2. WI-FI WORLD: WE WILL SOON BE TOTALLY IMMERSED IN WI-FI MICROWAVES. =20
Yesterday the President spoke at Northern Michigan University about a pla=
n=20
to get 98% of the nation connected to the Internet in five years.  That's=
=20
what governments are for.  We hire them to perform certain services for u=
s,=20
but I expected to hear a howl from those who suffer EMF phobia.  So far=20
they=92ve been pretty quiet.  Okay, maybe those of you who have written t=
o=20
tell me to give the cell-phone/cancer story a rest have a point.  This=20
brings up a particularly aggravating TV ad that invariably comes up durin=
g=20
the morning news.  An unpleasant woman with a child is pushing a grocery=20
cart down the aisle, and complaining loudly about food and beverage taxes=
. =20
Those are the taxes that allow the government to monitor the safety of th=
e=20
food and drink in her grocery cart.  The ad was paid for by Americans=20
Opposed to Food Taxes or some such organization.  Who do you suppose=20
those "Americans" are?=20
=20
CONGRATULATIONS EGYPT!

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
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