Actually, Bob, Mal was talking to -me-, and I apologize to anyone who was actually personally insulted by what I said.
That said, there -is- a US 'daneside presence in space. We've established that they're part of the colonization of the Moon, that many corporations are helping build orbital industry (Rockhounds sells more Space Rocks to 'daneside corporations who want instant space stations than anyone else, 2/3 of their first dozen went there). The US -military- presence was dominated by, and crippled by, the USAF/TSAB's bureaucratic morass for more than a decade. That said, we know there's a Navy base out in the asteroid belt, there's at least one converted sub running around (and rumors of more), and the TSAB's operations are being taken over by SOMEBODY. (Possibly in part, at least, the Artemis project, which has a lot of ex-NASA people. Possibly not. DARPA loves them their Sekrits.)
Are they trying to take over? Not really. First off, they signed a treaty - and ratified it - saying that they recognized the Convention as a sovereign nation. They actually -did- participate in the Boskone war, Stingray was in a few scraps, and a wing of fighters out of the TSAB got mixed up a few times, too. Secondly, if they did, they know the Convention would -fight- it, and they don't -know- what kind of superweapons may be out there.
Are they -prepared- to fight if they need to? Are there assets, weapons projects, and who knows what else, scattered around the US, the globe, the solar system, in case some Fenspacer gets a wild hair up his ass and starts dropping rocks on Peoria or New Jersey? Yes.
Are they interested in taking up the herding-cats-full-time job it would be to actually -run- what the Convention seems to be handling just fine? Not at this moment. "This is not the correct juncture for that sort of opportunity, ma'am."
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.
That said, there -is- a US 'daneside presence in space. We've established that they're part of the colonization of the Moon, that many corporations are helping build orbital industry (Rockhounds sells more Space Rocks to 'daneside corporations who want instant space stations than anyone else, 2/3 of their first dozen went there). The US -military- presence was dominated by, and crippled by, the USAF/TSAB's bureaucratic morass for more than a decade. That said, we know there's a Navy base out in the asteroid belt, there's at least one converted sub running around (and rumors of more), and the TSAB's operations are being taken over by SOMEBODY. (Possibly in part, at least, the Artemis project, which has a lot of ex-NASA people. Possibly not. DARPA loves them their Sekrits.)
Are they trying to take over? Not really. First off, they signed a treaty - and ratified it - saying that they recognized the Convention as a sovereign nation. They actually -did- participate in the Boskone war, Stingray was in a few scraps, and a wing of fighters out of the TSAB got mixed up a few times, too. Secondly, if they did, they know the Convention would -fight- it, and they don't -know- what kind of superweapons may be out there.
Are they -prepared- to fight if they need to? Are there assets, weapons projects, and who knows what else, scattered around the US, the globe, the solar system, in case some Fenspacer gets a wild hair up his ass and starts dropping rocks on Peoria or New Jersey? Yes.
Are they interested in taking up the herding-cats-full-time job it would be to actually -run- what the Convention seems to be handling just fine? Not at this moment. "This is not the correct juncture for that sort of opportunity, ma'am."
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.