IDIOTARIANS IN SPACE: No surprise that Berkeley passed a resolution supporting Kucinich's idiotic bill.

WHEREAS, The Space Preservation Act and the Space Preservation Treaty facilitate future public and private investment in clean and safe technology, products and services, and in sustainable, non-weapons, expanded civil, commercial and military, world cooperative space ventures, and the consequent stimulation of the national and world economy. The Act and the Treaty do not prohibit activities including space exploration, space research and development, testing, manufacturing or deployment that is not related to space-based weapons or systems, or civil, commercial, or defense activities (including communications, navigation, surveillance, reconnaissance, early warning, or remote sensing) that are not related to space-based weapons or systems;”

It seems the idea here is to push for the usual Berkeleyite goals, but now in space: sustainability, global collectivism, environmental purity, and absolute safety. What is surprising is that they even hint at capitalism having a role in space ("products and services"), though one wonders what role capitalism would have in space were space dominated by "cooperative space ventures" and the concerns of the "world economy".

And then comes the inevitable:

3) The Council of the City of Berkeley hereby declares that the space 60 kilometers and above the City of Berkeley is a space-based weapons free zone;

. Well, that's meaningful, isn't it? Nothing enhances respect for the rule of law like laws (or even mere resolutions, in this case) which establish unenforceable restrictions. Posted by T.L. James on September 18, 2002 07:27 PM