The Space Force Is Coming. Here’s Why the US Needs It.

Dean Cheng  The Daily Signal

 

One of the issues that will face the new Congress is the creation of a new military service: the U.S. Space Force.

Recently, Vice President Mike Pence chaired the fourth meeting of the National Space Council. The council is comprised of key elements of the U.S. government that are involved with space, and includes not only the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the secretaries of state and defense, but also the secretaries of commerce, transportation, and homeland security, as well as the director of national intelligence, the director of the Office of Budget and Management, the head of NASA, and the national security and homeland security advisers.

The venue was significant—Roosevelt Hall at the National War College. Established in 1946, the National War College seeks to train the next generation of senior officers and national security civilians in the ways of grand strategy, including how to balance resources available against requirements. Thus, the announcement that the National Space Council would unanimously endorse the creation of the new Space Force was intended to send a strategic signal.

To this end, the vice president in his remarks specifically noted the six recommendations that would be made to President Donald Trump:

1. Creation of a new unified combatant command: the United States Space Command. This would elevate command of space operations to the level of U.S. Special Operations Command.
2. Creation of a new organization, the Space Development Agency. This new agency will accelerate the development of new space capabilities.
3. Reorganizing the resulting bureaucracy, and laying out a path for rapid fielding of that new space technology.
4. Altering the current rules of engagement for space to allow more effective responses to potential space threats.
5. Reviewing and revising the legal authorities associated with the employment of space forces. While this appears to simply be more legalese, in reality, establishing which organizations have what legal authorities is a massive part of how the U.S. military operates. Because of the need for U.S. forces to operate within the law—international laws and treaties as well as domestic laws and regulations—laying out the authorities is vital to ensure that military responses are smooth and unencumbered by legal challenges.
6. All this is to lay the foundations for the creation of a new service, the United States Space Force, which the vice president made clear would be proposed in the next National Defense Authorization Act.

While late-night comedians found the whole idea of the Space Force hilarious, the reality is that the United States faces growing threats from space. These include not only anti-satellite missiles that can shatter satellites into thousands of pieces of debris, but lasers capable of “dazzling” and blinding satellite systems, as well as cyber and jammer threats. The range of potential space adversaries includes not only Russia and China, but, as the vice president noted, also Iran and North Korea.

Nor is the U.S. the first nation to create a service dedicated to space operations. In 2015, the Russians established the Russian Aerospace Forces, merging the Russian air force and the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces. This entity has control over Russia’s air force, Russian missile defense forces, and key parts of the Russian space infrastructure, such as the Plesetsk Cosmodrome (launch facility).

Meanwhile, at the end of 2015, the People’s Republic of China established the People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force. This new force marks a very different path than the Russian Aerospace Forces.

Under the People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force, the Chinese have brought together their electronic warfare, network (cyber) warfare, and space warfare forces. Thus, where the Russians see space as an extension of the air, the Chinese see space as an extension of information space. This difference explains why the Russians created a single aerospace force, while the Chinese created a single information warfare force.

Since such massive reorganizations take time, this means that both China and Russia were undertaking significant analyses and preparations long before the announcement in 2015. Thus, the United States, far from militarizing space, is in fact likely to be years behind our Russian and Chinese counterparts.

Think national, vote local

By Bob Livingston

Think national, vote local 

(This is the fourth and final installment of a four-part series on how conservatives should view the upcoming national midterm election. You can read the first installment here, the second here,and the third here.)

Ninety-nine percent of the people who go into politics in Washington go into politics for politics' sake. They want a job for life. It takes someone dedicated to personal liberty and small government to go to Washington and lobby that their own job should be less important, and that their power should be reduced.

Most go to the District of Corruption to have their power increased and their prestige increased, and even the most well-intentioned usually get sucked into the vacuum of politics.

Ron Paul once told an audience, "When young people come to me in my office and say 'I understand what's going on, and I want to be a congressman,' I say 'Don't set that as your goal.' You don't want to be in politics for the sake of politics. Always have the goal of not saying 'What do I have to do to please the majority who wants more government and vote that way?' but to use [politics] as a tool to influence people to believe precisely in the principle of property rights and very limited government."

National politics has become a Kabuki theater battle between parties. Instead of representing the interests of the voters and upholding the Constitution, politicians appear to battle over partisan issues while both sides grow government and take away our liberties. When it comes down to it, American politics is not Republican versus Democrats. It's government versus the people.

I'm not one for flag worship, but I was very sympathetic toward the "tea" in the Tea Party's adopted name which is an acronym for "taxed enough already." But the Tea Party movement was quickly co-opted by opportunistic Republicans, and the anger of Americans at restricted freedoms has been turned on other Americans rather than the government at which it should be rightfully directed.

Even the most well-intentioned liberty lover is usually consumed and turned over to the dark side once he gets to Washington. Should you get elected to office and decide that you are going to fight for liberty, to have any power you must get a seat on a committee or become its chairman. To do so, you must build coalitions and "play ball" with the people already in power.

It's then that it becomes no longer about representing your home state citizens. You have to raise money for the party, millions and millions of dollars, and even more money to keep your seat every two years. Then you have to bow to the party's leadership.

In doing so, with every ounce of energy you have spent raising money for the party and keeping your seat and bowing and scraping before the likes of Mitch McConnell or Paul Ryan, you lose sight of the goal of reforming government, or arguing for freedom and limited government, and you become a pawn of the Deep State instead. Now you are bought and paid for by big government.

We've reached a point where I don't feel that voting does any good in national politics. Remember that it's important to the actors in, and plans of, the Deep State that you vote. That alone should give you pause. Lew Rockwell likes to say, "Voting is the sacrament of the state religion." They want you to participate in increasing their power.

Today, voting means you accede to more and bigger government. You are vilified and looked down on for not voting. Witness the rise of the "I voted" buttons you will see everywhere on Election Day. Oh how they want to make our country like the socialist utopia where voter participation is 100 percent! The opposite of the yellow star during WWI. Those who don't wear an "I voted" sticker are supposed to feel ashamed.

I am not telling you not to vote. If you feel there is a candidate in your area that you want to support, then you should indeed vote. As I mentioned here, conservative voters should concentrate on finding candidates for state and local elections who will uphold the Constitution and are willing to take a bold stand for state's rights and against federal tyranny.

If you feel you must take on national issues, remember that McConnell and his CINOs (conservatives in name only) want you to think they will put "strict constitutionalists" on the federal bench. Is now-Justice Brett Kavanaguh one of those? Not only did Kavanaugh help write the unconstitutional and privacy-killing Patriot Act, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of evidence that he is in fact a constitutionalist, despite every right-leaning media outlet telling you that it's so.

This is why you must concentrate on electing people you feel will push for term limits and the repeal of the 16th and 17th Amendments which would end the unconstitutional income tax system and necessarily end the Federal Reserve, and restore selection of senators to the states where the Founders intended (no, elected office isn't a job, and "experience" and "qualifications" don't enter into the equation. These weren't meant to be long-term positions).

A return to sound money and republicanism is what will save the nation. Yet, you should be aware of what most votes at the national level mean these days. For example, no one can become president of the U.S. without the approval of the Council on Foreign Relations... not even Donald Trump. The CFR and globalist banksters like Goldman Sachs and the world's central banks control America's and the world's political processes.

These "Third Way" proponents have chosen their candidates to be manifestations of an organized and militant religion that is at total war with Christianity and liberty.

The goal of this religion is to amalgamate humanity into a proxy for "social justice" and "democracy," a euphemism for tyranny over and oppression of the American people. Individuality and choice must be destroyed to make each of us a permanent vassal of the state. The state builds its political power on deception and false pretense finally leaving the people with no inner imperative to question or oppose the New Order.

We can't oppose them by choosing from among them. If you vote, choose wisely. 

The unbearable whiteness of being liberal

By Ben Crystal

The unbearable whiteness of being liberal 

White people are bad. I know this because the Democrats have devoted an inordinate amount of time informing Americans that white people are responsible for everything that ails our great nation. When white men aren't raping women on their way to the Supreme Court, they're stepping on black people's heads to get there. And it's not just the white men who are to blame. According to quite a few of the Democrat/media complex's spokesholes, the successful confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh proves white girls are spreading plenty of misery on their own. The New York Times charged "white women benefit from patriarchy by trading on their whiteness to monopolize resources for mutual gain." Rolling Stone blasted white women for "a new 21st century version of Jim Crow." And Islamofascist hate group fuhrer Linda Sarsour, who continues to be the Women's (sic) March leader despite her affinity for removing women's genitals, shrieked that Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) vote to confirm Kavanaugh makes her "a traitor to women." 

OK, so having established that white people, of either gender, are the devil incarnate, I have a question: Why am I still seeing Hillary Clinton everywhere? A septuagenarian multimillionaire who built her entire career on her husband's coattails seems like a poor choice to continue bearing the standard of a political party which considers old white people to be bipedal viruses. And given Madame Clinton's husband's history of sexual assault, I would have ranked her higher than Susan Collins on the "traitor to women" scale. And yet, there she is, jet-setting around America with Bubba on her arm; charging close to $1,000 a head to watch her do it.

While the "Lady MacBeth of Little Rock" doesn't appear to be considering a reboot of her disastrous 2016 presidential campaign, likely because she doesn't want to take the pay cut, the roster of aspirants from the "Down with Whitey" party is pretty damned pale. According to a CNN poll released Sunday, the leading challenger to President Donald Trump's re-election is — an even older white person than Nana Hilldawg. Leading the libs by a nearly 20-point margin is former Vice President Joe Biden, all 75 grope-y years of him. In second place is the only other candidate to climb into double digits: 77-year old Senator Bernie Sanders (Communist – VT). A few nonwhite names, Senator Kamala Harris (LOL-Californistan), Senator Cory Booker (D- SPARTACUS!!) and even Eric Holder (D-Sinaloa Cartel) pop up in the also-rans section, but they're stuck rubbing shoulders with crusty old palefaces like John Kerry and Michael Bloomberg. Holder is even outpointed by fake Latino, and real drunk driver, Rep. Robert Francis O'Rourke (D- "Beto"-ville).

We just finished a week in which Kanye West's visit to the White House sent liberals into such a racist meltdown, they did everything but burn a cross on the lawn. At one point, CNN analysts actually questioned whether West, who strikes me as kindred spirit to Trump — self-obsessed, kinda boorish, but undeniably successful — knew how to read. This from the same people who thought it was the coolest when Obama had some yuks with a lady who got famous for taking a bath in milk and breakfast cereal.

The left have proclaimed themselves the African-American's true defender, but any who step out of line are subjected to psychiatric diagnoses by reporters whose medical knowledge is limited to the homeopathic section at the Whole Foods. Serious people, including Secretaries of State, U.S. Senators and Supreme Court justices who don't toe the racial line set by liberals are mocked, ignored and/or targeted for the kind of bigoted hatred that would make Hillary's mentor, Senator Robert Byrd (Grand Dragon – WV), turn whiter than his Sunday-go-to-cross burnin' sheets.

And yet, atop their molehill, Hillary Clinton stands as queen, with Joe Biden as crown prince. I guess that makes Bernie Sanders the court jester. After all the hate, all the racial division and all the violence, the Democrats are led by the nose into the political arena by a bunch of rich, old, white people. 

"Collateral Damage"

By Adam Kinzinger

Moments in time define generations – and this is a generation-defining election . "Collateral Damage"…That’s the phrase Nancy Pelosi used to describe how people who disagree with her could be impacted by Democrat economic policies. She’s hungry to return to power and turn back the progress we’ve made. We can’t afford for Nancy Pelosi to be Speaker again. Her agenda won’t be good for American taxpayers and will only push the country further into gridlock.   Today, we are less than three weeks from either a Blue Wave or a Red Tsunami. It's up to each of us to decide. Right now, Democrats have a huge fundraising advantage from promising RESISTA NCE, but Republicans have RESULTS on our side.

The policies enacted by Republican majorities in Congress and the President have invigorated this economy. Some may not want to acknowledge it, but there is no denying these facts: Median income in our district rose more than $3,100 last year Unemployment is at record lows Wages and Benefits are growing at highest rate in 10 years More job openings than EVER before Consumer confidence is at record highs Taxes cut for 90% of American families Thousands of big government regulations slashed Manufacturing is returning to America This election will determine if our country wants to continue down a path of prosperity, with better wages, higher consumer confidence, and, as the Federal Reserve Chairman said, “extraordinary times” with low inflation and low unemployment. Or do we want to go backwards with Nancy Pelosi's disastrous policies that led to a failed stimulus, crony capitalism, and health care laws that take power away from patients and put power into government bureaucracy? Not to mention, the Democrats DOUBLED the national debt the last time they were in power. Democrats aren’t really talking about their polices. That’s because they know citizens do not want a government takeover of the health care system that will DOUBLE every American's income taxes. They aren’t talking about their policies because each one is already an old, tired, and proven failure. We know a Democrat majority will only lead to gridlock, impeachment hearings, and policies that turn back the progress we’ve made over the past two years.  Democrats want to make this election about personality -- but it isn’t. This election is about recognizing the hole we just dug ourselves out of, and vowing never to return. When I first ran for office after serving tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, I did so because I thought if I was willing to fight for our country from the outside, I must be willing to fight for it from the inside. That still holds true today. The President understands, Republicans understand, and you understand that America stands for something far bigger than ourselves. This election cycle is the most important mid-term election in modern times. We need the resources to get the good news out to the masses (because they won’t hear it from the liberal media).  When we get our message and ideas out there, Republicans don’t just win the day, we win the future . We must maintain our majorities if our children and grandchildren are to inherit an even greater America than the one we did. I continue to be thankful for the trust you place in me to serve you every day in our nation’s capital. This is a charge that I will continue to take very seriously and I ask that you continue to stand with me as we make this country great again.

Big Auto Is Going All In on This Tech

Big Auto Is Going All In on This Tech By Jason Stutman Written Oct. 06, 2018 In case it wasn’t already clear, the world’s leading automakers made it wholly apparent this week that they’re going all in on driverless tech. Kicking off a host of autonomous vehicle announcements this week, Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co. announced on Wednesday that it will be investing $2.75 billion into driverless car technology, in partnership with American automaker General Motors. Specifically, Honda will be dropping $750 million to take a 5.7% stake in GM Cruise LLC, GM’s driverless subsidiary. The remaining $2 billion will help fund a purpose-built autonomous vehicle for GM Cruise. Coincidentally, Renault-Nissan and Daimler hinted on Wednesday that they plan to expand cooperation efforts relating to autonomous car technology. During a Paris auto show press conference, the CEOs of both companies sat side by side while saying that it would be advantageous to pool their research. And to put the icing on the cake, Japanese auto giant Toyota has officially joined up with SoftBank to develop self-driving car services. Specifically, the two will develop a platform to operate large self-driving vehicles that could be used as mobile shops, hospitals, and other services. The joint venture, which will be called MONET (short for mobility network), will start small with initial capital of $17.5 million and a focus on Japan, but long term, the two companies plan to go global. That service isn’t expected to launch until around the mid-2020s, but it goes to highlight the sheer ambition of today’s tech and auto companies. They don’t just want to automate basic transport; they want to revolutionize mobility entirely.As ambitious as this all may sound, the planets are aligning entirely in the favor of driverless tech. Not only is the world’s first robo taxi service expected to launch later this year, but regulatory barriers are also aggressively being lifted. On Thursday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a new plan intended to open the floodgates for driverless tech. Through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the DOT announced that it is “reconsidering the necessity of its current safety standards,” as applied to autonomous technology. Specifically, the DOT says it is looking to change current safety standards “to accommodate automated vehicle technologies.” Of course, the loosening of regulatory barriers shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. With Morgan Stanley forecasting that driverless vehicles will eventually grow to an $800 billion market, it’s obvious enough why the U.S. wants to stay ahead of this emerging tech trend. The timeline is fairly long, mind you, with 75% of global miles expected to be self-driven by 2050, but that future is being spearheaded today with heavy investments in ancillary technology and R&D. Primary enabling technologies for driverless tech can be broken down into a number of distinct categories, three of which should stand out as the biggest investment opportunities. First up is telematics software, which encompasses the monitor and control of remote assets. Vehicle telematics specifically lets a company like Uber or Lyft track its network of vehicles. Eventually, telematics will be used to manage networks of driverless vehicles. The next category investors will want to pay attention to is sensors. Sensors of all different varieties serve to collectively tell driverless vehicles which way is up, what objects are around it, and so on. This includes everything from laser-based radar (LIDAR), cameras, and proximity sensors for visual input to accelerometers and gyroscopes for accurate orientation. Already, we’ve seen some big winners in the sensor space, the most notable so far being Mobileye, which was taken off the public market by Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) in 2017 for $15.3 billion. That acquisition priced the company at a 36% premium over the market.Last but not least is mobile connectivity. Needless to say, driverless vehicles cannot be hooked up to cables, but more importantly, they consume immense amounts of data. In fact, a single autonomous vehicle will use, on average, 4,000 GB of data per day, and that’s just for one hour of driving. For perspective, each driverless car on the road will generate as much data as about 3,000 people on their mobile devices. Moving this much information over our current mobile networks, of course, would be flat-out impossible. Bandwidth bottlenecks will only be prevented by moving past 4G networks. Of course, that’s exactly what leading ISPs are up to right now, with enormous monetary and infrastructural investments in 5G. This next leap in mobile communications will facilitate not just driverless vehicles but also 3D virtual and augmented reality, mobile ultra-HD video, and even remote surgery. In the coming months, we’ll be putting together a number of reports on stocks and investment opportunities in driverless tech, including all the investment categories listed above. If you're looking to hit the sensors angle, I suggest taking a look at recent research on the topic from my colleague Alex Koyfman. For investments in 5G infrastructure, you'll want to review this free presentation here.