A Debate About Weapons in Space: Against A New Cold War?

Throughout the space age, the United States has resisted the temptation to insert weapons into orbit and to deploy a unilateral capability to "control" space in a time of conflict. That peaceful-purposes policy has never been popular with America's "space warriors" and it is under sustained assault today. Conflict in space is inevitable, space warriors say. Given that, the United States must preemptively get on with the space-control mission. To space warriors, a demonstrated capability to control space seems sensible and necessary. To other nations, such a capability would more likely suggest a velvet-glove hegemony that could someday turn to steel-fisted imperialism. What nation could afford to rely on the everlasting good intentions of another nation, even one as relatively benign as the United States? If the United States chooses to pursue a space-control capability, the most likely consequence will be a new Cold War, most likely with China.