XPost: alt.politics.democrat, alt.culture.outerspace, sci.space.policy   
   XPost: sci.space.station   
   From: schillin@spock.usc.edu   
      
   henry@spsystems.net (Henry Spencer) writes:   
      
   >In article ,   
   >Inquiring minds  wrote:   
   >>> Incorrect.  The Outer Space Treaty prohibits most military activities on   
   >>> the surfaces of "celestial bodies", and forbids stationing of weapons of   
   >>> mass destruction in space, but says nothing about military activities in   
   >>> general in space.   
      
   >>Oh please...Just about everytool used in spacecraft construction, and   
   >>every component on a spacecraft are listed on the US's WMD list. Even   
   >>35% H2O2 is listed as a WMD.   
      
   >The US's "WMD list" is an irrelevant joke.  The *international* definition   
   >of "weapons of mass destruction" -- the one that applies to treaties -- is   
   >nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, period.   
      
      
   Do you know of a treaty or other formal agreement which specifies this   
   definition?  I've never seen such a thing, which apparent gap fosters no   
   small ammount of confusion in discussions like this.   
      
   And I'd quibble about your "period".  AIUI, "WMD" is preferred over "NBC"   
   as a hedge against some smartass coming up with something comparable in   
   effect but based on fundamentally new technology.  But yes, the consensus   
   definition of "WMD" among people who aren't trying to obfuscate some dubious   
   bit of politics is "Nuclear, Biological, Chemical, and if someone invents an   
   antimatter bomb next year we'll add it to the list".   
      
   Since the antimatter bomb wasn't invented last year, anyone using "WMD" to   
   point at anything less than "NBC", is trying to disengage rational thought   
   and observation w/re some matter you probably want to look at closely and   
   thoughtfully.   
      
      
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