Barack Obama Told 'Build Star Wars Death Star' by US Voters

Americans are signing up in their droves to make US President Barack Obama build a killer Death Star spaceship.

A petition on the White House website is demanding the government splashes out on a version of the planet-sized spacecraft from the iconic Star Wars films.

Almost 4,000 people have signed up. Only 21,000 more are needed for the president to be forced to consider the project officially and issue a formal response.

In Star Wars, Dark Lord Darth Vader travels through space in the Death Star to blow up a peaceful planet using its super-powerful lasers.

The petition creator, known only as John D, said a similar craft was needed to boost national security and create jobs.

The petition reads: "By focusing our defence resources into a space superiority platform and weapon system such as a Death Star, the government can spur job creation in the fields of construction, engineering, space exploration and more, and strengthen our national defence."

Critics might fear the bar for success has been set rather too low by lawmakers in Washington, with the petition threshold. It means politicians may soon need to begin weighing the pros and cons of building the gigantic craft capable of changing the face of diplomatic relations forever.

Should the idea find favour with the White House, it would constitute the biggest Keynesian economic gamble of all time.