Comments on: 30 Years Later http://arthurthefourth.com/2004/01/30-years-later/ selling my soul, but keeping a copy Sat, 31 Jul 2010 22:26:14 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Arthur http://arthurthefourth.com/2004/01/30-years-later/comment-page-1/#comment-203 Arthur Sun, 18 Jan 2004 01:08:25 +0000 http://arthurthefourth.com/?p=101#comment-203 You don't think government spending works that way? How else could it possibly work? Money, abstract as it is, is still totally quantifiable - if you spend it one thing, you have less money to spend on another. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/01/14/bush.opposition/index.html" rel="nofollow">This article</a> on CNN also talks about how budgets for space exploration are notoriously underestimated, because we don't know what the hell we're doing. I guess my real problem here is that this whole thing is so clearly an election year tactic. The truth is we don't really need to get to Mars anytime soon. We have more than enough resources on our own planet to feed, house, and clothe everybody properly - we just don't do it right. Mars, on the other hand, has none of those things. Just rocks. Maybe Spirit will find some more information in the coming months, but making an announcement like this in the wake of the initial awe inspired by those landscape photos is such typical Bush propaganda bullshit. You don’t think government spending works that way? How else could it possibly work? Money, abstract as it is, is still totally quantifiable – if you spend it one thing, you have less money to spend on another. This article on CNN also talks about how budgets for space exploration are notoriously underestimated, because we don’t know what the hell we’re doing.

I guess my real problem here is that this whole thing is so clearly an election year tactic. The truth is we don’t really need to get to Mars anytime soon. We have more than enough resources on our own planet to feed, house, and clothe everybody properly – we just don’t do it right. Mars, on the other hand, has none of those things. Just rocks. Maybe Spirit will find some more information in the coming months, but making an announcement like this in the wake of the initial awe inspired by those landscape photos is such typical Bush propaganda bullshit.

]]> By: echillri http://arthurthefourth.com/2004/01/30-years-later/comment-page-1/#comment-202 echillri Thu, 15 Jan 2004 20:43:48 +0000 http://arthurthefourth.com/?p=101#comment-202 Bruce Sterling makes <a href="http://boingboing.net/2004_01_01_archive.html#107357767583280159" rel="nofollow">an excellent point</a> about the settlement of Mars. There's plenty of zany things to explore right down here on planet Earth. Bruce Sterling makes an excellent point about the settlement of Mars. There’s plenty of zany things to explore right down here on planet Earth.

]]> By: DanG http://arthurthefourth.com/2004/01/30-years-later/comment-page-1/#comment-201 DanG Thu, 15 Jan 2004 18:08:22 +0000 http://arthurthefourth.com/?p=101#comment-201 I presume this is meant to be a statement on all this Mars talk coming from Bush. We do need to got Mars someday, and we might as well get started now before the asteroid hits. People seem to have the notion that every $1 we spend on space is $1 less we spend on health or education, but I dont think government spending actually works that way. Anyway, the best way to cure the world's problems would just be to colonize Mars and start from scratch. I presume this is meant to be a statement on all this Mars talk coming from Bush. We do need to got Mars someday, and we might as well get started now before the asteroid hits. People seem to have the notion that every $1 we spend on space is $1 less we spend on health or education, but I dont think government spending actually works that way. Anyway, the best way to cure the world’s problems would just be to colonize Mars and start from scratch.

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