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simcoder t1_j8aqr3c wrote

Reply to comment by OSFrog2023 in This week Elon Musk blocked Starlink for "military purposes" in Ukraine. He is clearly a bad faith actor and/or compromised. Europe should build an alternative as soon as possible. This new space race will have huge geopolitical consequences. Deep analysis translated from German: by [deleted]

But couldn't that apply to any military application of Starlink involving combat?

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OSFrog2023 t1_j8arbij wrote

No, eaponized drones aren't the same as Intel. One kills outright, another leads to killing. You can't supply the thing that is coordinating the killing, unless your the government that is.

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simcoder t1_j8arksk wrote

Well, but couldn't you come up with a scenario where the various comms capabilities delivered by Starlink resulted in some amount of violence and possibly other stuff that wouldn't be that different from what the drones do?

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OSFrog2023 t1_j8as584 wrote

Indeed... that's why we have lines that are clearly defined and don't lead to whataboutisms...

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simcoder t1_j8asecp wrote

I guess I just don't see that much difference.

Starlink provides the comm links to fly drones to their targets. Starlink also provides comm links to direct other assets to their targets.

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OSFrog2023 t1_j8aszjr wrote

It's not much of a difference, but it's an important one of emphasize. International pressure combine with us regulations makes it impossible for them to do anything other than what the they did once known. Private war profiteering is close upon us already. Let's not blow the dam apart completely.

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simcoder t1_j8athf5 wrote

And, it's tricky because without Starlink early on, no telling what might have happened to poor Ukraine.

But in the final analysis, drone or some other asset, it's the same basic situation. Certainly from a "making yourself a potential military target" POV :(

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