Here's a little agit for the never-believer

**jrandom** · 16th January 2004, 09:37

So GWB wants to spend a buncha money and get out into space again.

The obvious comments fall along the lines of 'expensive imperialist wanking with no determinable scientific value in these times of global instability and dubious economic conditions'.

However... I tend towards agreement with Arthur C. Clarke's sentiments on the subject. I don't recall his exact words, but they were related to the inspiration drawn from the opening of a new frontier. He and many others have drawn a correlation between exploration and the flowering of a vigorous and progressive culture, together with the association between stagnant, indrawn societies and decay, corruption and decline.

Rest assured, if the Americans go to Mars, there'll be many a place for Kiwi scientists and engineers at NASA/JPL. I'd be dead keen... bugger all this political nonsense and let's do something that stirs the imagination for a change.

Discuss.

**riffer** · 16th January 2004, 09:47

Originally Posted by jrandom

expensive imperialist wanking with no determinable scientific value in these times of global instability and dubious economic conditions'.

True, and you could also be most cynical about his announcement of this policy right at a time when even the Americans themselves are starting to doubt the truth behind the whole Iraq and terrorism thing.

I guess having sorted out the whole oil thing and setting in place the new world order daddy was always going on about, dubya and his advisers are now looking for a way to get him elected again so he can continue the deconstruction of America as the worlds largets democracy and the establishment of the world's largest totalitarian regime...

Not that I'm paraniod mind you

I'm all for space exploration - I just don't really believe dubya's motives. I would love to see America, China, Russia, India and Britain all work together on this one, but I don't think dubya can get that one past the NeoCons in the US Senate. Be a nice thing to see though...

**750Y** · 16th January 2004, 11:56

what's GWB?

**matthewt** · 16th January 2004, 12:02

Originally Posted by 750Y

what's GWB?

George W Bush

**Big Dog** · 16th January 2004, 13:28

Perhaps they could take a page from the russains space manual and charge wealthy americans for the priviledge of space travel.

"Two tickets to the moon staying two nights and a rental car? That'll be 2billion dollars"

**Jackrat** · 17th January 2004, 23:55

Maybe he thinks there is life on Mars.
He seems to be running out of people he can kill down here without geting in the shit.The only country in the world whos economy depends on destroying others an they call others terrorists.Yeah I reckon he should go to Mars,
An bloody stay there.

**MikeL** · 18th January 2004, 08:50

Ironic really. The first phase of space exploration was men sending monkeys into space. Now it's the opposite way round.

**boris** · 19th January 2004, 06:53

they mite even land on the moon this time.But with special Fx in movies beinge better now so it will look more real this time.What is the point of going to the moon any way i don't think there is any oil or any thing to blow up or kill.