Military Hush-Up: Incoming Space Rocks Now Classified

"For 15 years, scientists have benefited from data gleaned by U.S. classified satellites of natural fireball events in Earth's atmosphere – but no longer.

A recent U.S. military policy decision now explicitly states that observations by hush-hush government spacecraft of incoming bolides and fireballs are classified secret and are not to be released, SPACE.com has learned.

The satellites' main objectives include detecting nuclear bomb tests, and their characterizations of asteroids and lesser meteoroids as they crash through the atmosphere has been a byproduct data bonanza for scientists.

The upshot: Space rocks that explode in the atmosphere are now classified.

"It's baffling to us why this would suddenly change," said one scientist familiar with the work. "It's unfortunate because there was this great synergy...a very good cooperative arrangement. Systems were put into dual-use mode where a lot of science was getting done that couldn't be done any other way. It's a regrettable change in policy."

Scientists say not only will research into the threat from space be hampered, but public understanding of sometimes dramatic sky explosions will be diminished, perhaps leading to hype and fear of the unknown."
Military Hush-Up: Incoming Space Rocks Now Classified
By Leonard David, SPACE.com's Space Insider Columnist
posted: 10 June 2009 05:35 pm ET

Great, now all the government conspiracy proponents will have more in their arsenal. Anyway, well, this sucks! I often wonder who is more paranoid, the "conspiracy theorists" or the government. Granted, both should be mindful of things but not to the point of paralysis. Another loss for science and humanity in general...

Rights and Government

“Natural Inalienable Rights”, like government, morals, society, ethics, culture, privacy, are but products of our collective brain; they are figments of our imagination, if you will. Like currency, their value and worth is based solely on our need and desire for them. Like freedom, rights are not free and to obtain them, they must be fought for and protected. Rights vary across the globe, through the various nations and ethnicities that make up our species. However, it is agreed upon that, generally speaking, most western and western-influenced states adhere to similar basic human rights. Details aside, there is enough consensus among these countries to conclude there is something worth protecting and fighting for. The problem in the E.U. and the U.S. is no one is fighting hard enough to keep these rights.

Once rights are agreed upon by a group of people, laws must be created to ensure them. To enact these laws, governments are formed. To check the power of a government, the people must be proactive and hold their government accountable to the responsibilities given to them. Any government should only be preoccupied about two things: that the rights of the people, and only the people, be maintained at all costs and that the people are given a prosperous environment in which they can exercise those rights. Police and the military, among others, are solely there for the benefit of the people, by way of enforcing the laws, and should not hold loyalty to any government or state. Politicians, too, should only be in office for the good of the people, not themselves directly, and act in the interest of those people based on their input. When a government can no longer fulfill its role, it should be replaced outright. The role of military and police forces in this matter is to make sure the will of the people is carried out, not to assure the continuation of a government.

The problems seen in the E.U. and U.S. are products of the current flawed outlook regarding rights, freedoms, and responsibilities among the people of these governing bodies. For far too long the people has sat idly by while others have made choices for them. This has resulted in no accountability held for the government. Thus the current trend of corruption and the removal of individual rights, replaced by governmental rights, have run ramped. Rights, like all ideas, are bulletproof; however, they fade with time without due vigilance. This is the critical flaw in rights; again for they are nothing more than the products of our mind. In order to keep them alive and real, we must desire them and place value in them. Like love, rights will die without active participation from all parties involved. People get the government they deserve; they also get the rights they deserve. The only way to correct this trend of individual subjection by governments is for the individuals to stand up as one, remove the shackles of social fears, and act for the good of the many instead of the few or the one. No one is free until everyone is free; and no one is free if they let others think and act for them. It is time to stand up; it is time to make a stand; it is time to take responsibility; it is time to think; and to act! They work for us!
Rights and Government

So, this is now you don't make friends on Capital Hill. This is basically a transcript for a audio comment I sent to Adam Curry for his podcast, the Daily Source Code. I'll link the episode should he play it. You can find his site through the blogs at CURRY.com. As you might have noticed, I added a ton of links that are worth checking out. I'll add more if you guys have any for me.