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xii Introduction How do we do this? First, the American government must prioritize this to the electorate and make an ideological and practical case for space and the new Space Force. The first time I mentioned this to a group of space professionals, I received quizzical and perhaps skeptical looks. Why was I suddenly talking about the American voter in a talk about Russian and Chinese national security strategy? This made me think that I had hit a nerve. Space professionals obsess about all things space. This is not a surprise. However, few understand American politics, and many focus on space to insulate them from partisanship and the political scrum. I think many even disdain political talk, probably out of a spirit of fear. If America is serious about space, it better make sure the electorate is as well. Our political system dictates that any prolonged policy without public sup- port will fail. This is also not hard. There is nothing inherently partisan about space in the vast middle of American politics. The fringes won’t like space, and they won’t like Space Force because of various extremist opinions that ultimately die of their own weight. However, if the space professional community ignores the electorate or, worse, takes them and their tax dollars for granted, we should close up shop now. In other words, this connection to the American electorate needs to be a central priority, not one on the periphery. It should not be left to public relations “experts.” It needs to be part and parcel of the everyday aspect of the Space Force’s job. One of the core rules of politics, if you don’t define yourself, others will do it for you. On the romantic side, we need to hearken back to President Kennedy demanding that America and Americans must lead this human endeavor, that the banner of freedom and democracy must be at the forefront, and that it is not only our challenge but our duty and responsibility. If not us, then who? If not now, when? The American government needs to make the national security and economic case in stark and clear terms on the practical side. The cost of both, for another power to supersede us, would be catastrophic at every level. Readers may also benefit from knowing that I have been fortunate enough to be involved directly with Space Command and Space Force. I am an unabashed proponent of them and view their success as a success for the United States. My involvement has been giving briefings and pre- sentations to them and being one of the authors and contributors to both Space Futures 2060 and Space Futures 2045. I am not a futurist and will leave that field to those experts, many of whom are critical to forward-thinking on American strategy and the U.S. Space Force (USSF). This book is a synthesis combining the role of the new USSF, American national and grand strategy, and the new economic revo- lution. There are many experts in each of these realms, but few, if any, have sought to combine them into a whole. The Space Force is busily defining