The media is abuzz with the progress of the new International Space Station. But whose space station is it? And what is its actual mission-as opposed to the one claimed by its public relations agents?

We know in the United States, many projects "authorized" by the federal government are produced by privately owned corporations, and promoted by corporate lobbyists who bribe and intimidate congressmen.

We know our "Defense Department" was originally known as the War Department and that "defense" companies, many of whom were originally known as "munitions" or "armor plate" companies,are, in reality, nothing more than producers of weapons and systems of death.

We know these companies exist—and thrive—only upon the deadly fruits of war, and the records reveal that they have traditionally promoted war, and have used the most devious of methods for tricking Americans to enter war.

We know the decisions of the Pentagon, like all other agencies of our government, is influenced by the bribery of giant defense corporations—at least eight of which are reported to be controlled by one American family. And we know the operations of NASA have been removed from civilian control and placed under supervision of the military.

So, we cannot but wonder about the new international space station. How did this "Star Wars" project, rejected as impractical and unnecessary by America's leading scientists,become an "international" project so quickly? How is Russia's participation possible? How can this financially bankrupt country, unable to finance or solve the many serious social problems of its citizens, finance its part in the space station? Where does their share of money come from? Who pays for the Russian labor and skills being put into the project?

And we further wonder, does the international aspect of the project refer to governments of people, or to the corporations building the space station? Is it a function of the project to help solve the problems of Earth people or to strengthen the power of the New World Order, those people who own or control the small group of international corporations now affiliated by lust for global power?

In George Orwell's novel, 1984, the rulers of fictional Oceania were trying to develop plans for a death ray: a lens that would float high above the Earth with the capability of focusing a deadly ray of sunlight anywhere on Earth to destroy or intimidate an enemy. Shouldn't we, Americans, be a little concerned about the true functions of this space station being built by corporations many, if not all, whose owners are involved with plans for their New World Order in which corporate values replace political values, and corporate needs replace people needs?

Isn't it time to seriously consider changing the American System from one in which government is controlled by opportunist "representatives" and corporate owners to one in which individual citizens participate in government, to establish the values and laws of their society, on a rotating basis?

If you need additional reasons to consider such a change, read the Port Huron Manifesto—available on the Institute website. It's a document written by students of the Vietnam era, who clearly understood it is the American System, itself, that causes many social problems in the United States.