space@mit-mc (02/18/85)
From: Dale.Amon@CMU-RI-FAS Thoughts on "Classification Dispute Stalls NOAA Program", Science 2/8/85, pg 612-613 Now that the US has claimed a 200 mile economic zone, it would seem to make perfect sense to send in the surveyors and map an acquisition of land unheralded since the purchase of Alaska. Once the cartographers have cleared the way, we send out the new 49'ers and begin tapping the enourmous wealth of the nearly untapped continental slope, just as one day we will map the lunar surface in fine detail for the prospectors. And NOAA, taking it's charter to heart was prepared to map the new territory using the Sea Beam and the satellites of the Global Positioning System to gain highly detailed mapping information. However, the DOD in its infinite wisdom, wants to classify any mapping that NOAA does. Since classification will effectively halt the major economic use of this zone, it makes one wonder of DOD has forgotten what economic system they are supposed to be defending. DOD gave their half baked and rather lame excuse (Soviet submarines could figure out where to hide). This strikes me as being nearly as ludicrous as the explanations given for the shuttle launch time security. I suspect the real reason may be one of the following: - we have underwater caches of fuel, weapons, supplies, atomics, for wartime resupply of submarines, and possibly through the submarines of surface vessals. - we have carried the Sealab technology furthur and have underwater listening posts or bases that are manned. - we have unmanned underwater listening posts or other elint or C-cubed facilities that might show up in detailed mapping - we have built an undersea neutrino detector large enough to give militarily useful resolution so that can follow nuclear powered vessels anywhere on earth. I'm not sure about warheads, but I do know that operating reactors give off a nuetrino flux, albeit a not terribly powerful one. There was even discussion of building a large detector in the waters off of Hawaii. Detectors are based on recording scintillations in the dark waters using sensitive photo detectors. If anyone wonders why I have brought this up in Space Digest, it has to do with the fear that these morons may try to pull the same type of shenaninigans on us when we attempt to exploit the resources of the solar system. As those who have followed my ravings before know, I am NOT anti defense, or even anti-SDI. However I have a strong desire to make sure the military of our country is kept under control and gets slapped down every once in awhile with the reminder that this is a DEMOCRACY, with a CONSTITUTION, and it runs under a CAPITALIST economic system, and that the people who make up the nation are independent, undisciplined and (god forbid) UNMILITARY individualists. And for those who do not believe this will happen in space, I remind you that the DOD has used similar unconvincing arguments to prevent the creation of 10m resolution orbital remote sensing, is internally and privately undercutting the concept of shuttle commercialization, and was most unhelpful in getting a multinational space station built, yet was unwilling to assist the lobbying to create an all-american SCIENTIFIC and COMMERCIAL space station. By the way, I might add that to my (admittedly peripheral) knowledge it is not the people in the SDI office who are causing the trouble!! The whole point is, I think any of you out there who are in a position to do so should raise one holy hell of a stink about this travesty. I remind you of a few mottos of our ancestors: "Live Free or Die" (New Hampshire state motto), "Don't Tread on Me" (California state motto). Help keep our War Department American!!
doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (02/19/85)
> However, the DOD in its infinite wisdom, wants to classify any mapping that > NOAA does.... > DOD gave their half baked and rather lame excuse (Soviet submarines could > figure out where to hide). Another type of "classified data": the coverage of the U.S. Air Traffic Control RADAR. Although it would seem to make a lot of sense to let instrument pilots know, ahead of time, where they can expect to be out of RADAR contact, that information is classified. Now in the eastern U.S. there is essentially total RADAR coverage of all instrument flight routes. But not in the mountainous West. You ought'a see the look on the face of an out-of-state pilot flying V-105 from PRC to BLD when the air traffic controller routinely intones "Cessna Five Two Whiskey, RADAR contact lost, resume normal position reporting, request your estimate to Peach Springs." Many instrument pilots have *never* had to give a normal position report before. They don't have an estimate ready, they've forgotten what the chart symbols for "mandatory" and "on-request" reporting points are, and they've even forgotten the format of a "normal" position report. But at least the Ruskies don't know about the holes in the ATC RADAR coverage (oh, no! I just told them about one!) -- Doug Pardee -- Terak Corp. -- !{hao,ihnp4,decvax}!noao!terak!doug
ems@amdahl.UUCP (E. Michael Smith) (02/19/85)
> From: Dale.Amon@CMU-RI-FAS > > Thoughts on "Classification Dispute Stalls NOAA Program", Science 2/8/85, > pg 612-613 > > However, the DOD in its infinite wisdom, wants to classify any mapping that > NOAA does. Since classification will effectively halt the major economic > use of this zone, it makes one wonder of DOD has forgotten what economic > system they are supposed to be defending. > They have never played Hamurabi or Empire and don't yet understand that the way to win the game is to economically out produce your competition. > DOD gave their half baked and rather lame excuse (Soviet submarines could > figure out where to hide). This strikes me as being nearly as ludicrous as > the explanations given for the shuttle launch time security. I suspect the > real reason may be one of the following: > --- long list of far fetched rather lame reasons ommitted --- It is unlikely that there is any good reason. The dod has a long history of 'when in doubt classify new knowledge'. They seem to be as afraid of knowledge as the Russians. They just haven't learned yet that we will gain more advantage by the free exploitation of knowledge to our economic advantage than we will loose by having it known to the USSR. Remember that 'crypt' is not distributed outside the USA because of the bureacratic problem of licencing; not due to some sinister dod plot. Not to prevent anyone from having it. > ... However I have a strong desire to make sure the > military of our country is kept under control and gets slapped down every > once in awhile with the reminder that this is a DEMOCRACY, with a > CONSTITUTION, and it runs under a CAPITALIST economic system, and that the > people who make up the nation are independent, undisciplined and (god > forbid) UNMILITARY individualists. We have a Representative Democracy, not a Direct Domocracy; the DOD is doing what our representatives have told it to do... The constitution has been interpreted till it doesn't mean much any more... And our economy is not a true Capitalist system, but is rather what is called a Mixed Economy; with features of both capitalism and Socialism freely intermingled. Most of the people in the US do not fit the catagory 'individualist'. I wish that this were not so. Yes, the DOD will classify and stiffle the civilian space effort. This will be largely the result of bureaucratic bumbling and the tendency to try to hide *EVERYTHING* from the Russians. I doubt if we can change that. I hope there is enough leakage in the system to get the job of commercialization of space done. E. Michael Smith ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems Comedo ergo sum The opinions expressed by me are not representative of those of any other person - natural, unnatural, or fictional - and only marginally reflect my opinions as strained by the language.
space@mit-mc (02/22/85)
From: <dual!qantel!hplabs!ames!al> BRAVO!!!