Greetings world watchers!Sorry for the weekend hiatus, but the Plaid Avenger was in Ho Chi Minh City getting fitted for a retro Battle of Dien BienPhuplaid jumpsuit.Oh…the good old days, out fighting the Frenchies in the jungles of Indochina…. Oops, I have once again digressed.Let's get back to some under-reported news stories of great impact to your future.And I'm not even going to stay on the planet for this rant, because its all about space!
Dudes! Dudettes!This is some serious shit going down, and it is barely even reported on in the US!Last week we talked about how Hu visited Putin to talk trade, especially in fuel and weapons, but apparently these countries are getting even cozier on a whole host of issues.Like going to Mars.Wtf? Yeah, Mars, man…like that planet no one has stepped on yet.Development of space programs is a real biggie, for several different reasons.Let's look at them, shall we?
Russia was/is a leader of space exploration, including related technologies.Russia would like to continue to regain its status as a serious global power.Russia also needs investment.
China is THE up-and-coming world power.China wants to continue to make gains in its status as a major world power.China has shitloads of capital to invest.
Are you starting to see this match made in heaven?Ahhh yesss, most honorable ancestors; we shall have kick-ass space rockets!
Further development of the Chinese Space program, in cahoots with the Russian program, is a serious win-win for these two countries.Russia gains investment. China gains access.Both gain technological advancement.But most importantly: Both gain world status.How?Please consider my plaid friends, that the 'Space Club' is the most exclusive entity on earth—only US, Russia, and now China have put humans in space.And China in particular wants to be in all the coolest clubs it can get in—it's a status thing.It's why China wants to host the Olympics, and the Miss World pageant, or whatever else they are up to.Having a space program is simultaneously a political, economic, technological, and cultural statement: It says 'we are at the top: we have the capital, the technology, the drive, and the will to go where no man has gone before.'
Or was that Captain Kirk? Did you ever see that episode where Kirk bitch-slaps Dr. Spock?No wonder Bones McCoy was driven to drink…
Perhaps you are now wondering why the Plaid Avenger even cares. How is a Russian/Chinese space venture of importance to us?Here's how: China has plans to visit the moon.Only the US has pulled that one off.With talk of Mars missions, this whole space exploration gig appears to be dawning into a new age.China has already floated the idea of a moon colony too.And what's that old saying…oh, yes: possession is 9/10 of the law.Meaning: whoever is sitting on it can claim it.Perhaps your kids or grandkids will be visiting a moon hotel on their summer vacation…and it most likely will be owned by a Hong Kong syndicate.
How do you think the US will respond to all these developments?Just sit on the sidelines?Oh, hell no!I cannot predict future events with exactness, but you can take this premonition to the bank: THE NEW SPACE RACE HAS BEGUN!Right now! In our age!Competition is a hell of a thing, especially between two or three rich world powers.Why do you think the US went to the moon in the first place?Answer: just to beat the Russians to the punch.And I believe that with recent space initiatives—by the Chinese, the Russians, the Japanese and the EU—that the US is going to soon explode back onto the scene for a moon base, a Mars base, and what the hell ever else that China may be planning.
And here is the Plaid inside scoop: even if a lot of forward thinkers and scientists don't push for a moon base, ultra-conservative military hawk types will. How hilarious!There will be voices of concern raised at the DoD that if China has a moon base, then they could have missiles on that moon base, which means we must have a moon base, so we can have missiles to counter their missiles on the moon base. Hahahaha…its all so delightfully corny, except for the fact that it will probably unfold in exactly this manner. (Go watch Dr. Strangelove for an exact depiction of how this will happen.) Consider the worldwide investment and political discourse occurring already concerning the 'missile defense shield'.How much more attention will a 'moon defense' get?
Bottom line: We are just out of the starting blocks, but the next space race is ON. China, with Russia's help, is going to explode onto the space exploration scene with a vengeance.Japan is already stepping up their program.The EU too.Look for announcements from NASA in the coming year that we will have a moon colony in the works.And if you have some capital lying around that you want to invest for your kids and grandkids: look to companies in aerospace industries and technologies.They will be blowing up: financially, figuratively, and literally.
Danger Will Robinson! Danger! The Chinese are going to the moon!
Hmmmm…..do they make plaid astronaut gear?That would be stylish…
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Greetings world watchers! Sorry for the weekend hiatus, but the Plaid Avenger was in 
Perhaps you are now wondering why the Plaid Avenger even cares. How is a Russian/Chinese space venture of importance to us? Here's how: 
