Communism In Space: The New Solar Religion?
(Image Credit: Himalayan Academy)

It look as if the Chinese government will be spreading the socialistic gospel in the heavens above. Not satisfied with millions of registerd members on Earth, China wishes to establish a communist branch beyond the sky.
(Space Travel) Chinese taikonauts (astronauts) may start a branch of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in space, said the country’s first taikonaut Yang Liwei. China now has a 14-strong astronaut team. The team members, including Yang himself, are all CPC members. “If China has its own space station, the taikonauts on mission will carry out the regular activities of a CPC branch in space in the way we do on earth, such as learning the Party’s policies and exchanging opinions on the Party’s decisions,” said Yang, a delegate to the on-going CPC national congress in Beijing. [...]
“Like foreign astronauts having their beliefs, we believe in Communism, which is also a spiritual power,” said Yang. “We may not pray in the way our foreign counterparts do, but the common belief has made us more united in space, where there is no national boundary, to accomplish our missions.”
Although such rhetoric may be an indicator that our fragile planet is heading for another cold war, it may help motivate the US (as well as its capitalistic space businesses) to take the moon much more seriously.
As the dream of harnessing helium-3 becomes more of a reality, we will probably see an increase of nationalism as various nations carve out lunar territories–and defend their “white lands” viciously via lunar armies.
