China's policy of aggression and coercion in the seas of the western Pacific long predates the high-profile incidents of recent weeks. If Washington hopes to counter Beijing's creeping power in the region, it will have to be firm and proactive in demonstrating its resolve.
As Mars looms within reach and China ramps up its space program, the United States is turning its back on the stars through stinginess and partisan bickering. But the country can't afford to abandon space.
