Re: [Fwd: Putin Attacks Chronic Commercialization of Russian Armed Forces]
Thanks for the post Mark. Though I see it seems you
are just forwarding on this article from another
newsgroup or mail list... if you have a link to the
actual article I would very much appreciate it...
Well, I can't say much until I know for sure that this
is true and a credible source. I did do a cursory
search of the news wires and was not able to find any
english news stories or any mention at all of Putin's
comment to this effect (though I was able to find the
tabloid/newspaper/whatever that this article
supposedly came from and so that much I know at this
point seems true).
Hypothetically speaking though, lets just say this is
true (and it certainly does make sense I mean who
wouldn't be thinking this who follows international
politics at all)...
Even if it is I do not believe it would have any
effect on the Russian space program's current working
with private space entrepeneurs towards space tourism
and the like...
I think the natural inclination to this story would
be, "yeah, let the Russian military devolve into a
commercial chaotic mess, who cares (ignoring the own
creeping commercialization/privatization of the U.S.'s
own armed forces of course and our feelings on that)
as long as they keep flying rich guys into space"...
I think that would be a mistake. Do we really want a
rogue military of the size and capability (even now
after its evisceration by Gorbechav/Yeltsin/"casino
capitalism"/etc.) running around dealing drugs and at
the service of mafia/oligarchs?
I think not...
Without a stable state (which would be assured by a
stable military of course) they would not even be able
to think of partnership with private space
entrepeneurs, development of the "Klipper," etc., etc.
And as I am sure you would agree they are about the
only major state out there right now supporting the
fledgling private space industry at all...so what
other choice do we have? NASA and the bush
administration/defense contractor complex certainly
are not doing anything of this kind (though their
functionaries such as Griffin are making some of the
right noises and such, real, concrete actions are few
and far between)...
Of course, given the implosion of the Russian military
into a commercial free-for-all...the loss of
organization, technical talents, etc. would have a
catastrophic domino effect on all of the rest of
Russia's enterprises such as providing rocket launches
for other private space initiatives, etc. Not to
mention the global instability that would result from
a corrupted military of this magnitude.
--- Mark Reiff <markreiff@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> FYI,
>
> Beware of crackdowns (or shakedowns) in Russian
> aerospace tourism.
>
> The sad irony is that the American government has
> been messing with domestic
> commercial space efforts for years.
>
> Mark Reiff
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Putin Attacks Chronic Commercialization of
> Russian Armed Forces
> Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2005 16:49:07 -0600
> From: Jim Oberg <joberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Putin Attacks Chronic Commercialization of Russian
> Armed Forces
>
> Nezavisimaya Gazeta
> November 11, 2005
> Article by Nezavisimoye Voennoye Obozreniye
> correspondent Viktor Myasnikov,
> 10 Nov; place not given: "Top Priority for Army:
> Supreme Commander Demands
> Commercialization Be Extirpated From Armed Forces"
>
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