Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
From: henry@spsystems.net (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Thank God: The Red Chinese Are Coming
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 01:23:30 GMT

In article <8k85cu$piu$2@nina.pacific.net.au>,
ralph buttigieg <ralphb@zip.com.au> wrote:
>>Congress has just about wrecked the US satellite and launcher industries
>>already;
>>there won't be anything left for the US to spend money *on* if the
>>trumped-up Red scares continue to destroy the export market.
>
>How did Congress wreck the sat and launcher industry?

By deciding to crack down on exports of anything even vaguely related to
satellites -- which includes all technical conversations related to
selling somebody a satellite or a launch -- without regard to nationality.
The result is that nobody in his right mind orders from US suppliers any
more, because it takes weeks or months for the supplier to find out if he
can even talk to you about it, and months or even years to find out
whether the deal can actually go through.  This applies to *everybody*,
including NATO allies and other long-time partners, not just countries
which might pose some actual threat to the US.
--
Microsoft shouldn't be broken up.       |  Henry Spencer   henry@spsystems.net
It should be shut down.  -- Phil Agre   |      (aka henry@zoo.toronto.edu)