The REAL obstacle to SPSS

> The problem isn't a would-be-world-conqueror; it's the leaders who
> think all the OTHER leaders are would-be-world-conquerors.

Yes, but any would-be-world-conqueror (from whatever nation) has the
same problem: SSPS is a lousy weapon.
I keep hearing people say that.

And any
would-be-world-conqueror (from whatever nation) isn't going to give up
the world-conquering dream for lack of SSPS. And as there are easier
was to go about it anyway, SSPS is pretty errelevent from a
world-conquering point of view.

The real geopolitical concern is that SSPS would let nations who
already control so much control energy as well. For instance, the US
has the biggest millitary, but the European Union, Japan, and maybe a
couple of others can offset the US's economic pawer, and the Middle
East controls a lot of access to energy. If the US (to take the most
obvious example) should also control SSPS, then it would be like the
economic power of the US and the Middle East put together, with the US
millitary power thrown in, and the real Middle East practically hobbled.

Of course, there is nothing to prevent Middle Eastern countries (or
China or the European Union or Japan, for that matter) from investing
in powersats themselves, and maintaining their hands on the balance wheel.