All the more reason to minimize the creation of additional junk.

It was, and I did. In reading the original post, you’ll notice that we’re talking about ““any intentional action which will or might bring about, directly or indirectly, the damage or destruction of outer space objects.”
Yep, I was the one that said “blowing up satellites”, which is the hallmark example of this kind of action, as demonstrated recently by the Chinese.

You talk about being prepared to “defend your country and your allies”, and about doing that without “tossing around threats”. You use these words without any kind of specificity about how to do it, aside from avoiding treaties and agreements. So I’m just guessing that in the absence of these treaties and agreements, you must be thinking about blowing up bigger satellites! I mean, blowing up a satellite is how the Chinese showed they were prepared to defend their country, being serious and not just tossing around threats. They did it! It worked!

If you have a plan that’s any more sophisticated than muscle flexing and staring down our enemies to avoid being adrift and vulnerable, please do let us know. Yes, diplomacy goes only so far, but again, you’re evidently unwilling to go even there.

I don’t believe you read my post (if that last comment was directed at me).

You don’t get to that point, when those who would threaten or attack you (in what ever fashion) know you are prepared to defend your country and your allies. When they understand you are serious and not just tossing around threats, “aid,” and/or dependent on diplomatic square dancing, but actually prepared, they retreat from aggression.

I have not discussed blowing up anything sir — you did.

Is this what has come to be known as American exceptionalism?

I believe there is peace through strength.

“Bribery,” diplomacy — that just goes so far.
If you don’t have something to back it up you’re adrift and vulnerable.

Look around and think on that a bit.

Pragmatically, the advantage of such documents is that you can always refer back to an agreement. The signed agreement allows finger-pointing, which can be a potent diplomatic tool. An agreement doesn’t make anyone cooperate, but if there is no agreement, then there is absolutely no incentive to cooperate. That’s how diplomacy works. It’s about incentives, not arm twisting.

Re blowing up satellites in LEO, such a code-of-conduct agreement formally admits that the signees all know how to blow up satellites in LEO. That admission is basically what the Chinese always wanted, and it’s an inexpensive admission that will ideally keep the Chinese from feeling that they need to do it again to prove it.

I’m not sure what you’re saying. You don’t want to sign such an agreement because it would prevent US from blowing up satellites in LEO?

So, since everyone is doing their own thing on the sly, there really is no point in signing something that bears nothing but pious lies.

Thanks for the input.

Oh sweet Jesus, if we were to be that up-tightly principled, we’d never get anything done. We wouldn’t be able to work with anyone. All major world powers are doing secret stuff in space. They wouldn’t be very effective powers if they didn’t. The Pentagon has an entire program for this that cost billions per year, more than any of the other countries could afford to spend on it. The X37B, for example, no one knows what that’s been doing for the past 7 months!!!

I’m not worried if China is secretive about its manned space program. Having people in space is a liability, no an asset when it comes to military applications. There is not that much nefarious stuff you can do up there in anyway, except maybe spy on other nations, drop weapons or destroy satellites. Most of these are easy to spot since satellites are big visible objects that have known orbits and give off radio-waves. Nothing to worry about being secretive since we know probably what they will, can and know how to do. There is no super advanced evil technologies that we probably haven’t thought of already. And the US definitely spies on this just in case!!!

The World would be a whole lot better if people cooperated instead getting on a puritanical high horse and quarreling. You don’t even have to like someone to share benefits of cooperation with each other.