San Francisco (Obama.net)- This week Obama and his cabinet announced a new United States space policy that undoes the actions of the administration of former President George Bush.
The Bush administration aimed at creating a space system where each country conducted its own work completely separate from any other nation. However, President Obama disagrees with these views. Obama is seeking a space policy that promotes international unity and teamwork in space, as well as a treaty to make sure that space weaponry isn’t the main focus of states.
During the Bush administration outer space saw both the United States of America and China attack orbiting satellites around planet Earth. The Chinese destruction took place in January of 2007 while the American damage occurred in February of 2008. This caused many to fear the possibility of a space war beginning between the two world powers.
Obama wanted to make it clear that safety and progression are the main concerns of the United States. In the document, it’s written that the United States government is to “consider proposals and concepts for arms control measures if they are equitable, effectively verifiable, and enhance the national security of the United States and its allies.”
Conversely, George Bush made a point to allow the construction of weapons specifically for the purpose of attacking satellites, as evidenced in February 2008. Bush also made a point to “oppose the development of new legal regimes or other restrictions that seek to prohibit of limit US access or use of space.”
The Obama Administration’s new policy points out that “it is the shared interest of all nations to at responsibly in space to help prevent mishaps, misperceptions, and mistrust” in the international communities.
For years both China and Russia have been for a process to keeps powerful nuclear weapons out of outer space, but the Bush Administration kept the United States away from any official agreement. With the recent work of President Barack Obama and his newfound treaties with Russia and talks with China, it is clear that the three big powers are finally starting to be on the same page.
Arms control is finally a goal that is being realized in the world. While conflict may be present in the world currently, space will see only peace from here on out unless a rebel state such as North Korea or Iran decides to go against the grain.
As Obama said, the goal of the new plan is “designed to strengthen America’s leadership in space while fostering untold rewards here on Earth.”
With Obama’s leadership on the topic of space, safety and security throughout the world can be projected to increase monumentally. As tensions with Iran and North Korea continue to escalate despite the continuous effort by President Obama to organize peace talks, the citizens of the United States of America can feel some sense of ease knowing that peace now exists between America, China, and Russia.
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