Today's Take: October 27

Russian Attack on Musk Satellites - An Act of War Against the United States?

Pravda, a Russian-owned state media company, reports that Russian Foreign Minister Konstantin Vorontsov might regard commercial satellites permissible targets in their war on Ukraine. 

Musk’s system of satellites is crucial to Ukraine in maintaining communication after Russia shut down all Ukrainian Internet communication within Putin’s power.  Countries, including the United States have paid Starlink to ensure the continuation of the system.  Musk himself claims he is losing money and threatened to end the service several weeks ago.  He reversed his position. It is common for countries to use the equipment of private corporations to achieve foreign policy goals.  With technological advances since WWII, one wonders what happens to control of communications should there be another world war.  We can only hope Putin doesn’t force that decision.

If Russia uses anti-satellite missiles, tested in November of 2021, to attack Elon Musk’s Starlink system should it be considered an act of war against the United States? Airbus Satellite is a private French company used by the French Military.  Can Russia use this as grounds to attack the company’s equipment?

•Justice Kagan Blocks January 6 Committee Enforcement of Subpoena

In response to an Emergency Application by Arizona GOP Chair Kelli Ward to stop acquisition to her phone records Judge Kagan overruled the San Francisco Court of Appeals and stopped the January 6 Committee from executing its subpoena.  

Elena Kagan seems to have stood up for nothing during her tenure on the Court.  Is this unexplained ruling the one for which we will remember Kagan? 

•Putin Provides Footage of Tests by Russia’s Strategic Nuclear Forces, Announces Success, but Now Claims No Need for Nuclear Weapon Use

Today, Putin claims he won’t use nuclear weapons on Ukraine. Yesterday, Putin observed Russian training for nuclear forces that included test launches of ballistic and cruise missiles. Putin displayed the tests publicly and announced the success of the drills.

Judge Putin on what he actually does. As long as he refuses to remove Russian troops from Ukraine assume he plans to continue the war. How long before countries supporting Ukraine realize that they cannot trust a word out of Putin’s mouth, be it threats to use nuclear arms or floating the idea of attacking StarLink satellites that allow Ukraine military communication?

•AG Garland Fulfills Biden Promise to Protect Media from DOJ Seizure of Press Records to Identify Leaks

Beginning with George Bush, continued in the Obama and the Trump administrations, the Department of Justice has used subpoenas, warrants and court orders to obtain information on journalists’ confidential sources that leak information to the press for public dissemination.  

When Biden learned that former Trump AG Bill Barr secretly tried to obtain the email records of reporters at the New York Times, CNN and the Washington Post to establish the identity of White-House leakers he promised to end the practice.  

It’s unclear if it will be applied to the Biden administration’s DOJ investigation of the Project Veritas $40,000 purchase and use of the stolen diary of Biden’s daughter.  The new regulation does not cover reporters obtaining information illegally or used for espionage.

What does this mean for Julian Assange?  Will the DOJ end its case against Edward Snowden who willingly identified himself as the leaker that let the public and the rest of the world know that the U.S. government illegally collected citizen and foreign leaders’ phone calls?  Is Snowden a whistle blower or a traitor?

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