Jul 21 2009
Weapons Technology: the Real Legacy of the Apollo Moon Landing
Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first human steps and planted an American flag on the surface of the moon. The event was the culmination of nearly a decade-long effort through the Apollo Space Program, which cost $25 billion in 1969. Those moments we just heard were watched or listened to by 500 million people across the globe. But the moon landing was not just an event designed to inspire awe all over the world – it took place in the context of the Cold War and was used as a way to demonstrate American supremacy over the Soviet Union. The event was also used to justify decades of funding for space weapons research into which billions of dollars have been dedicated. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, published an op-ed on the occasion of the 40th anniversary, clearly stating that “[S]pace remains a critical enabler of America’s military power.” In 2003, 70% of the weapons used by the Pentagon in its invasion were a result of space technology. Today, despite the financial recession, President Obama boosted funding for NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in the 2010 federal budget to the tune of $18.7 billion. Still the majority of Americans support the space program and agree that the benefits have outweighed the costs, according to a new Gallup poll.
GUEST: Bruce Gagnon, Coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space
For more information, visit www.space4peace.org.
One Response to “Weapons Technology: the Real Legacy of the Apollo Moon Landing”
I’m glad you delved into this. Coverage of the military’s domination of the space program has definitely been deficient, and I hope Pacifica will do more of it. I also think there needs to be more public debate about whether or not there should be a space program at all.
One of my issues with space exploration is humankind’s callous disregard for its own planet (cumulatively speaking) and the life inhabiting it. If we can’t take care of our own planet, why should we be messing around with others? (And I find the notion of terra forming Mars repugnant, but it’ll probably happen someday.)
And why are we searching for extraterrestrial life when we humans (cumulatively) cannot even deal with our own differences in skin color and gender? What would we do to the poor E.T.s? (Norman Spinrad once predicted that evangelists would start broadcasting the Gospels into deep space–as a start.)
One of the few good uses of the space program, IMO, would be to send out a message, like the one on the Voyager probe–but warning everyone to stay the hell away from us. Instead of “Greetings from the children of the planet Earth,” such a message could show whales being slaughtered, humans being mass-murdered,and the Borgification of the environment by developers.
(BTW, Star Trek fans have wondered what the Borg might do if they ever took over Earth. Well in my opinion, they would do things like reroute the L.A. River, develop on 95% of SoCal’s wetlands, blow holes through any hills that might be in the way of roads,build freeways over burial grounds, etc., etc.)
Getting back to our involvement in space, there have been some pretty scary proposals which aren’t even related to the military. For example, in her introduction to No Logo, Naomi Klein mentions a plan by Pepsi to project its logo onto the moon for everyone in the world to see. And here’s another project that creeps me out but seems to excite others: http://la.indymedia.org/news/2009/03/225486.php.
I actually think that our dispersal of particles in Earth’s orbit might be a good think–if that’s what it would take to keep us from going out and destroying other parts of the universe and to maybe get us to start appreciating what we have.
Finally, I’d like to recommend this film, which features Bruce Gagnon, Noam Chomsky, and others, Arsenal of Hypocrisy:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4835966027154828456&q=arsenal+of+hypocrisy+bruce+gagnon+space+nasa
I helped organize a screening of this film here in L.A. some years ago. It was pretty well-attended, but I’ve never been able to arrange a second screening. (People have so much else on their minds.)
Thanks again for addressing these issues. I think this is a very important subject in a time when we’re deluged with very important subjects.