Space Policy in Utopia (was Re: [FPSPACE] Presidential space accomplishments)

[Brian Dunbar]

DSFPortree at aol.com wrote:
> Don't give up on this email too soon, please. There's good stuff in the last 
> half, after some housekeeping.
> 
> I've had an interesting morning - four emails awaited me re: my recent 
> postings on FPSPACE. Two said that I had the right idea, that debating the merits of 
> the Bush space vision was appropriate. One of those said that FPSPACE is too 
> right-wing dominated and that it isn't friendly to folks with differing points 
> of view. A third told me that I have "diminished" FPSPACE by my presence. And 
> the fourth said that, while he wasn't knowledgeable enough to discuss the 
> relative merits of presidential space policies, he could propose his own policy, 
> which he then did. 
> 
> All indicated that they misunderstood my tongue-in-cheek first posting. I 
> apologize for that one. I thought I was being funny and ironic.
> 
> Of these, the fourth is really the only one I find interesting. Not sure why 
> he felt the need to post off-line.

Because my off-line message started out being a discussion about the 
topic at hand (poo flinging) and morphed into what _I_ would propose as 
a space policy where I king for the day.

It's not a new idea with me of course - the motiviation is as old as the 
hills, and appeals to what makes the world go round.  It's not even a 
new idea with me WRT space policy - blame Jerry Pournelle circa 1984;

"Be it resolved by the Congress of the United States:

The Congress has determined that a permanent colony on the Moon is in 
the national interest of the United States.

The Treasurer is directed to pay the sum of $10 billion (Ten Billion US 
Dollars) to the first US-owned company that shall place 31 American 
citizens on the Moon and maintain them there alive and in good health 
for the period of three years and one day.

This payment shall be exempt from Federal taxation. No money shall be 
paid under this act until the conditions set forth above are fulfilled."


Okay - 20 or 30 billion in 2005 dollars.  Still a bargain at the price.




-- 
Brian Dunbar
System Administrator
Liftport

brian.dunbar at liftport.com
aim: bdunbar1967

Remember.
But move forward, too. Light a candle, yes. But also drive a rivet.
~Lileks