# "Mystery surrounds costly spy program" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 9, 2004, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903 "2004-12-09T09:47:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/21 "2004-12-09T17:38:11Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > However, I’m open to any other wild, uninformed speculation anyone would care to offer on the subject. I suppose it could also be some plan to control the weather, probably involving some sort of ray-emitting satellites. Death Ray. Based on a model from, oh, about 8 decades ago. Or they’re getting the [mineshafts](http://homepage.eircom.net/~odyssey/Quotes/Popular/Films/Strangelove.html) ready: > [@Dr. Strangelove](#): > > “Mr. President, I would not rule out the chance to preserve a nucleus of human specimens. It would be quite easy at the bottom of some of our deeper mineshafts. The radioactivity would never penetrate a mine some thousands of feet deep. And in a matter of weeks, sufficient improvements in dwelling space could easily be provided.” > > “Well I… I would hate to have to decide who stays up and who goes down.” > > “Well, that would not be necessary Mr. President. It could easily be accomplished with a computer. And a computer could be set and programmed to accept factors from youth, health, sexual fertility, intelligence, and a cross section of necessary skills. Of course it would be absolutely vital that our top government and military men be included to foster and impart the required principles of leadership and tradition. Naturally, they would breed prodigiously, eh? There would be much time, and little to do. But ah with the proper breeding techniques and a ratio of say, ten females to each male, I would guess that they could then work their way back to the present gross national product within say, twenty years.” ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/22 "2004-12-09T17:42:32Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > You mean, it has something to do with Harlow Solid Italic Typefont? I think what we’re dealing with has more to do with Solid Harlow Italic Typefonts. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/23 "2004-12-09T18:45:08Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > However, I’m open to any other wild, uninformed speculation anyone would care to offer on the subject. I suppose it could also be some plan to control the weather, probably involving some sort of ray-emitting satellites. It would not be the first time , that someone like the NSA , CIA or the AirForce/Navy has diverted money from an existing program to a black program , and keep the GAO happy or at least at bay. Just thinking about how to take out a KH-11 bigbird , either the opFor has a space craft , in which case we can determine where it launched , its piggy backed onto a commercial satellite in which case we can investigate who built it and so forth, or a directed energy weapon from the surface. The Sats are venerable, but no more venerable that when the Sovs were playing big bad red machine doing the world tour. Something is being funded , but not arming satelites. Declan ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/24 "2004-12-09T18:54:50Z")
I know the KH-11 series and Hubble are getting old, **Declan** , but there’s no need to call them Venerable! ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/25 "2004-12-09T19:27:31Z")
My sources tell me this initiative will result in greater exploration of one of the least explored areas of the planet. Apparently, we’ve only been there once. For about 20 minutes. But he couldn’t tell me where it was. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/26 "2004-12-09T20:18:53Z")
One options is on the black re-implementation of the full Total Information Awareness program, including the parts they were too embarassed to disclose prior to the election. The levels of public encription technology available now is not pleasing to the NSA et al. I imagine this program is proposed to remedy that. Whether it works or not (see i.e. Anti-ballistic missle defense programs) is entirely another story. But a threat to national security? Doesn’t seem likely. Also, the much rumored replacement for the SR-71, next gen unmanned spy birds and orbital objects are going to take some serious coin. Again, expensive programs loaded with political reward pork- sure. Threats to national security? Unlikely again. Given the current administration’s obsession with ABM, and how badly the previous implementations have fared from a cost, implementation and PR basis (as well as the very, very, very hostile reactions of the Russians- and oh yeah, the ABM treaty)- I would put my money on that being likely to be the ill-advised black program. Or maybe they are finally funding that Metal Gear program. . . 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Greenback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/27 "2004-12-09T20:34:43Z")
[Dr. Evil] The money is being used to develop a method of focusing light to a single point. This beam of light will be called a “laser”. It will be made portable enough so that it can be attached to some of the most fearsome carnivores in the ocean. [/Dr. Evil] ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/28 "2004-12-09T21:06:38Z")
Hmm, maybe I was close. [http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-12-09-spy-budget-mystery\_x.htm](http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-12-09-spy-budget-mystery_x.htm) > [@](#): > > The rare criticisms of a highly secretive project in such a public forum intrigued outside intelligence experts, who said the program was almost certainly a spy satellite system, perhaps with technology to destroy potential attackers. They cited tantalizing hints in Rockefeller’s remarks, such as the program’s enormous expense and its alleged danger to national security. > > A U.S. panel in 2001 described American defense and spy satellites as frighteningly vulnerable, saying technology to launch attacks in space was widely available. The study, by a commission whose members included Donald H. Rumsfeld prior to his appointment as defense secretary for Bush, concluded that the United States was “an attractive candidate for a Space Pearl Harbor.” and later > [@](#): > > “From the price, it’s almost certainly a satellite program,” said James Bamford, author of two books about the National Security Agency. Return of the Star Wars program? The article has some nice information. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/29 "2004-12-09T22:32:22Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > It’s an earthquake machine. Like in _The Core._ The Dems are afraid that it’ll stop the earth’s core from rotating, requiring us to send a heroic and self-sacrificing team of misfits down to the aforementioned core to re-start it. If only the gov’t had done more stem cell research – Then we wouldn’t need to find a team of misifts. Me, I just wanna say what a pleasure it was to read this entire thread without seeing one mention of the 3rd decade of the last century. ---
**Author:** ![Greenback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/30 "2004-12-09T22:37:36Z")
> [@5que](#): > > Death Ray. Based on a model from, oh, about 8 decades ago. Like this one? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/31 "2004-12-09T23:59:06Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Yes, yes you are. :rolleyes: Why do you have to do this with someone’s harmless little comment? You’re getting to be like Eeyore. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/32 "2004-12-10T00:22:53Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > Or that friggen glowing rotating tunnel Mr. B. Foot might just chase you into. I actually went through that tunnel on a Universal Studios tour in '79 or so. Can you believe it was even cheesier in person? And how bad is a show that it can’t get cable syndication even with a zillion channels? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/33 "2004-12-10T00:39:52Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Actually, it’s already been named Colossus. Guy named Forbin came up with it. Hey, as long as the Russians have their own version, we’ll be A-OK. I welcome our new silicon overlords. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/34 "2004-12-10T08:38:56Z")
> [@paperbackwriter](#): > > I know the KH-11 series and Hubble are getting old, **Declan** , but there’s no need to call them Venerable! Orbits are simple, so they are venerable. The only trick is that only so many players can put something up there , to effectively negate any sat. As soon as Rutan put that bird into low orbit , all of sudden the pentagon comes out with plans for a space superiority platform, which leads me to conclude that its not that hard a thing to do. Declan ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/35 "2004-12-10T14:12:17Z")
> [@manhattan](#): > > I actually went through that tunnel on a Universal Studios tour in '79 or so. Me too! I nearly vomited on the beehive hairdoo in front of me due to the motion sickness. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903/36 "2004-12-10T14:29:34Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > venerable Either you meant to write “vulnerable” or I’m missing something here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-surrounds-costly-spy-program/278903.md?page=1)