Beijing has "secretly" shot a powerful ground-based laser through the lower atmosphere at an American spy satellite, blinding, but not destroying the surveillance device. The attacks were kept secret by the Bush administration, so as to not damage diplomatic relations (e.g. co-opting China in offensives against North Korea and Iran). According to Defense News, "after a contentious debate, the White House directed the Pentagon to limit its concern to one line," that China has a satellite-blinding laser. Alarmed nonetheless, the US military has been shooting lasers at its own satellites to guage the potential threat, which reflects the American concern about Chinese military expenditure - increasingly geared at challanging American pre-eminence by building weapons that attack key US systems: aircraft carriers, satellites.

Of course, China spies too. Multiple spy rings have been exposed and the FBI has increased the number of staff tracking the effort. Recently, China has been engaged in a massive espionage effort against American high-tech firms, like those working on the DD(X) destroyer program (a Navy project for a new guided missile destroyer, a multi-mission ship with a focus on land attack, equipped with 2 manned and 3 robotic helicopters and all sorts of guns and missiles). Before that, China was accused of carrying out economic espionage, the FBI claiming that China uses its nationals, who are sent to North America to study advanced technology, to infiltrate American companies to gain access to sensitive information and then return to China to set up their own companies or provide the information to the military. In 1999, the US congressional committee concluded that China obtained critical information about an array of US warheads, including its modern strategic thermonuclear weapons program, by theft from weapons labs and meticulous scanning of public information. So, spy versus spy continues… in space.

Beijing secretly fires lasers to disable US satellites, Telegraph.co.uk
China may seek satellite laser, Pentagon warns, FAS.org

One of my personal heroes, Robert Anton Wilson, author of books like Cosmic Trigger, Shroedinger’s Cat and the Illuminatus! trilogy, is dying of post polio syndrome. To make matters worse, his finances are in shambles, with barely enough money to pay rent. So, some of his friends (Dennis Berry, Douglas Rushkoff) have reached out to the public asking for donations to help this visionary thinker in his final days. If you haven’t read his work, do it, it will blow your mind. But first do help him, if you can, while he is still alive. All money will go directly to Robert and can be sent to his PayPal address olgaceline@gmail.com, or by check to RAW c/o Futique Trust, P.O. Box 3561, Santa Cruz, Ca 95063. May his transition be smooth and tranquil. He will be missed.

Robert Anton Wilson needs our help, Rushkoff.com
Robert Anton Wilson needs our help, BoingBoing.net
Wilson’s home page, RAWilson.com
Robert Anton Wilson, Wiki

The wars of the future will not be fought on the battlefield or at sea. They will be fought in space, or possibly on top of a very tall mountain. In either case, most of the actual fighting will be done by small robots. And as you go forth today remember always your duty is clear: To build and maintain those robots. Thank you.
Military school Commandant’s graduation address, "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson"

South Korea now has machinegun-equipped robot sentries, which it hopes to deploy along the 155mi long demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. The robots were developed by four institutions including Korea University and Samsung Techwin Co. over the past three years at the price of some $10 million in government and private funds. Each sentry runs about $200,000, and the developers hope to sell at least a thousand when they are put on the market next year. The "Intelligent Surveillance and Guard Robot" has visual and infra-red detection, can spot moving objects at up to 2.5mi by day, 1.2mi by night, and can use pattern recognition to tell apart humans, cars, trees, etc. Moreover, it has a voice recognition system, can raise alarms, as well as provide suppressive fire from its mounted machinegun. But, it seems it cannot move. Modified, the sentry could be used to guard civilian installations (airports, power stations, oil pipelines). Maybe this will even things out a bit for South Korea’s military of 650,000 versus North Korea’s 1.2 million.

The sentry can be controlled remotely, you can even see the interface in the commercial, which entails that it can be hijacked remotely. It is also a frightening weapon in that it allows for killing with the least psychological resistance (see Evolution of Weaponry). But similar technology has been around for a while, there are even companies that market it. WiSnipe, a portmanteau or blend of Wireless and Sniping, makes an Internet Gun Device that can be fired from across the world via the web or by cel phone. Like the Korean sentry, it also has Motion Detect and Follow, allowing it to lock onto a target and track movement. According to their website, WiSnipe believes their guns should be in banks and embassies, where there may be situations requiring deadly force. But is that really what we need in the world, internet controlled guns and robots? Of course, where would a totalitarian panopticon be without it. I expect to see something like this at the next Republican National Convention, that will show those protesters.

South Korea unveils gun toting sentry robot, uk.news.yahoo.com
Video: South Korea Intelligent Surveillance and Guard Robot, YouTube
WiSnipe.com