Satellite Plans Worry China and Russia

There's a concept in psychology (I don't know what it's called) that says, "What you say about others reveals more about you than about them." For example, if you complain that someone is "always late," it shows that you value punctuality.

Another concept is Projection: attributing "to others one’s own unacceptable or unwanted thoughts or/and emotions."

Both of those concepts came to mind as I read about China's and Russia's "concerns" about America's plans to destroy the errant, toxic satellite with a missile.

The AP reported Sunday about China's concerns.

China said Sunday it was concerned about U.S. military plans to shoot down a damaged spy satellite that is hurtling toward Earth with 1,000 pounds of toxic fuel.

The U.S. military has said it hopes to smash the satellite as soon as next week—just before it enters Earth's atmosphere—with a single missile fired from a Navy cruiser in the northern Pacific Ocean.

The official Xinhua News Agency quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao as saying the Chinese government was monitoring the situation and has urged the U.S. to avoid causing damages to security in outer space and in other countries.

"Relevant departments of China are closely watching the situation and working out preventive measures," Liu said. Xinhua did not elaborate.

Russia also has voiced worries about the U.S. plan to shoot down the damaged satellite, saying it may be a veiled test of America's missile defense system.

The U.S. has insisted the plan to shoot down the satellite is not a test of a program to kill other nations' orbiting communications and intelligence capabilities.

Both countries have been doing a lot of saber-rattling lately, with Russia becoming an endless mouthpiece of defensiveness and muted threats over our proposed missile shield system in Eastern Europe.

I don't trust either country, and what I've seen from the Bush Administration doesn't make me feel any better. Their response to Russian and Chinese belligerence has been simply to reassure those countries that we mean no harm. And then to reassure the American people that Russia and China mean no harm either.

I'm not buying it.