Maybe I should try and buy some land on the moon now...

Wired Magazine has a short essay about the current battle for Arctic ownership that I've been somewhat obsessed with lately, and it's implications for future territorial disputes on the moon. Little did I know how much those Canucks were trying to flex their muscles up north:

In 2005, the Canadian military launched Exercise Frozen Beaver. Eleven soldiers flew in helicopters to Hans Island, a hunk of rock off the coast of Greenland that's long been claimed by both Denmark and Canada. When they landed on the half-square-mile outcropping, the troops planted a Canadian flag, ripping down the Danish colors that had been flying there since 1984. Once they got home they mailed the confiscated flag to the Danish ambassador in Ottawa.

Of course, they would pick on some puny country like Denmark. Sheesh! But as other countries besides the United States and Russia embark on journeys to the moon, similar skirmishes may begin to occur in the space above us. Even wars in space may not be science fiction either soon:

But what has gone unnoticed amid the international clamor is that the Arctic battle has implications that reach far beyond the top of Earth. The squabbling will be a prelude to — and even set the tone for — eventual sovereignty claims on the moon. At the same time that it was making Arctic claims, Russia announced plans for manned lunar missions by 2025 and a permanent base there by 2032. Japan might beat them to the punch with a 2030 base. Both will be able to stop over and share a glass of Tang with US astronauts, who are supposed to start setting up shop in 2020. China also has lunar aspirations, though officials will say only that they plan to get to the moon sometime after 2020.

Actually, I don't know what all the hub-bub is all about. The U.S. already planted the American flag on it's lunar mission back in the 60's. As far as I'm concerned, that entire orbiting rock is ours. Bwahahahahahahaha!!

Maybe we should ask IBM's "Deep Blue" supercomputer what to do...

I'm not sure why I'm so intrigued by what's going on in the Arctic and the melting Northwest Passage, but I imagine there's quite a backdrop for a good movie developing up there. It's sounds like an international gold rush as Russia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, and the U.S. play what one called "a global chess game." Sounds more like something out of Risk, to me. Unfortunately, the United States seems to be shuffling their feet to get themselves positioned for victory in this match. While Russia is running circles around the North Pole planting underwater flags and such with their 18 icebreakers, the U.S. is struggling to figure out how to keep their own interests safe and secure with an aging fleet of four. Coincidence that Russia has resumed their Cold War-like bomber patrols lately? Maybe Putin knows whats going to happen up there.

I'm telling ya, World War III will break out in the North Pole...

First, we've got the dispute between the United States and Canada over who controls the shipping lanes through the Northwest Passage. Then, Russia planted its rust-proof flag in the middle of the ocean bed under the North Pole to stake their claim in the region, claiming the Lomonosov Ridge is actually a land extension of their country. Now, the Danes are sending in their own expedition to prove that this undersea stretch of mountains is actually contiguous with Greenland, and thus, the property of the ol' House of Denmark.

It's going to be the next hot spot for trouble, I tell ya. But think of all the cool battles that would take place. Gunfights on skis, snowshoes, and snowmobiles. Submarine battles straight out of The Hunt for Red October. Hockey matches on the glacier tops when they all figure out it's way too cold up there to be fighting over oil.