Via Slashdot:
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/SciTe..._040330-1.html
I'm not sure how I feel about weapons in space. From a cost standpoint America is already overwhelmingly powerful, and spending additional money on orbital arms really doesn't seem necessary. In addition, the latest trend is towards heavily urbanized environments. What good is an orbiting death ray when your targets are hiding in a densly populated area?
On the other hand, the military value of space-based weapons is immense. Being able to strike at a target with near impunity is a universal goal, and the psychological effect of having fire rain down from the sky is pretty intense.
I would prefer space remain unweaponized. Despite the stratgic value and utter coolness factor, space should be commercialized before it is militarized. Putting that money into developments that would benefit everyone, and not just defense, would be more beneficial to society.