On Mon, 09 Dec 2002 20:16:54 -0500, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>And it will only get worse. If it is not the conspiracy theorists, its the
>whiny "the moon and mars should be shared by everybody" complaints from the
>Europeans and other folks I met at the World Space Congress. Grr. No wonder
>the space field is at a near standstill.
I can only assume these people know nothing about capitalism; namely,
that people need some incentive to go develop the Solar System, and
that making money at it is the only way they can put food on the table
while they do it.
I'm a Red, myself. I like Mars just the way it is. It's beautiful,
on its own terms. But how many people are willing to go to Mars on
Mars' terms? Those who go will set their own terms. Since I want
them to go, I can't very well carp about what they do when they get
there.
>How about we move all the hard core space engineers to a nice island in the
>pacific, and start building and testing a reusable rocketship? I'll ask a
>couple of eccentric millionaires to foot the bill. (As soon as I find them
>:-). Then like in "Kings of the High Frontier" you suddenly start launching a
>space facility into orbit before the governments of the world know what hit
>them.
Like Heinlein, "All bills are paid when the ship lifts?" Works great
if you never want to come back. Or do any business. Or import
anything. Heinlein was seduced by a nice turn of phrase; the reality
will be quite different.
>That reminds me, how do you make space exciting for girls and women? It is a
>very white male-dominated field. Space Tourism is one option.
>But that's just me. :-)
I'm sorry, Sam, but when I make women excited, space tourism is faaar
from my mind. But that's just me. :-)
-R
--
"Is this a bagel?"
"It's the Guardian of Forever!"
"Well yes. But is it a bagel?"
--Overheard at Loscon 29
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