Thomas Borchert writes:

The counterargument for this runs like this: GPS has become way too
much of a factor in common life and in the global economy that any US
president could ever afford to switch it off or degrade it much. An
Iranian nuke hitting the White House due to navigation signals provided
by an 80 dollar Etrex GPS might change that view in a hurry, however.

The view would quickly be forced back. Terrorists use telephones, but that
doesn't mean that any country can afford to shut off telephone service. GPS
is moving in the same direction.

The EU real life answer does include the above, but also: pride and
jealousy, complaints by EADS and other high-tech companies that mostly
US companies are cashing in on the sat nav market and similar reasons.

Pride and jealousy among the European tribes killed 100 million in the
previous century; sounds like they still haven't grown out of it. As long as
they cannot get a grip, the U.S., China, and India will continue to leave them
in an ever-longer trail of dust.

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