White House rejects building a Death Star

According to the White House you won't see one of these being built above Earth in the near future (which is probably a good thing). / Lucasfilm Ltd.

WASHINGTON A "Death Star" won't be a part of the U.S. military's arsenal any time soon.

More than 34,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the Obama administration to build the "Star Wars"-inspired super-weapon to spur job growth and bolster national defense.

Obliged to respond to citizen petitions - no matter how tongue-in-cheek - that surpass 25,000 signatures, Paul Shawcross, an administration adviser on science and space, posted on the White House website Friday that such a project is too costly and doomed to failure.

He said a Death Star would cost an estimated $850 quadrillion to build, at a time when the White House is working to reduce the federal budget.

Besides, Shawcross says, the Obama administration "does not support blowing up planets."

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Shawcross also questioned the feasibility of the project. "Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?"

• This isn't the petition response you're looking for (whitehouse.gov)

The U.S., Shawcross points out, is already involved in several out-of-this-world projects, including the International Space Station, which is currently orbiting Earth with a half-dozen astronauts, and he encouraged young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering or math-related fields.

"We are living in the future! Enjoy it. Or better yet, help build it," he said.

[crabnebula]

We'll see what Darth Vader has to say about this.

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

Well shoot. IF we hadnt bought Iraq i bet we could afford it.

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

hell I thought this all went back to R Rayguns Starwars agenda.

That is too bad.

[BobChambers]

Obama doesn't want job groth. He wants everybody on government assistance that is how he wants to take over the US for the NWO but what he doesn't realize if that ever happens the first thing the NWO will do is get rid of him and he doesn't realize this because he does not know his history

[kamikazijay]

WOW ! It's called a sense of humor . Some of you spring loaded idiots need to look into your Obama Care People's Handbook to find out when they are giving out our new government approved ones . Make DAMN sure you don't miss it because whatever sense of humor you were born with is dead . May they rest in piece ... :p

[crankyoleman]

What a disappointment. I was so looking forward to learning how to fly a TIE fighter. Anybody seen my light saber?

[Rafterman11]

I think its time to raise the signature level to 100,000.

[tmittelstaed]

Oh sure! And 30 years from now when the Empire shows up with it's Death Star and enslaves everyone on the planet, you lamebrains will be whining why the heck we didn't start building one of our own, now!

But, seriously, the Vorlons could take out a dozen Death Stars any day.

[Rafterman11]

Comparing competing Sci Fi shows' technologies is always fun. Star Trek vs. Star Wars vs. Babylon 5. I think Star Trek technology would win out, with transporters and cloaking devices being the decisive factors. Discuss.

:)

[lami987]

Those must be the same nuts who believed in Star War initiatives. We already spent so much with nothing to show for. We want to cut spending on our infrastructure but those nuts want to spend more on those nonsense.

[hypnotoad72]

*bingo*

[bobnjersey]

[Paul Shawcross, an administration adviser on science and space, posted on the White House website Friday that such a project is too costly and doomed to failure]
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they should contract this out to 'gingrich space systems'.