One More Moon/Mars Thought

[sdelmonte]

So Dubya's made his speech. It was about what was predicted, with an emphasis on going back to the Moon and then onto Mars, slowly; and with a call to finsish our share of the Intl. Space Station, but then to retire the shuttles and disengage from the ISS program. Certainly not how I would go about things, though it's hard to argue that the shuttle program should be extended yet again.

But it's the response to this that I am here to comment about. The Democrats, it seems, have no enthusiasm for this, with a Clinton leftover named John Podesta deriding this be saying Dubya wants to focus on "a red planet 35 million miles away." So? Yes, we should have our priorities, but we should also have our dreams. Alas, I fear than no Democrat will offer ann alternative to Dubya's plans.

I hate this. I hate this because I want Dubya gone from the White House. But given the choice even between his half-baked, possibily soon to be forgotten, Moon/Mars plans and no such plans at all, I gotta go with Dubya. Yet again, I wonder if anyone running from my party has either a vision for the future or any clue as to how to show up Dubya.

In the meantime, I am willing to give Dubya a little credit for making it a little more respectable to dream big again. I doubt he truly shares such dreams, but the promise of a manned Mars landing is too powerful to ignore, despite the huge daunting reality.

And in the same meantime, Spirit is ready to rove. Can't wait for the pictures from that.

Comments

[kimpire.livejournal.com]

Someday I'll have to debate you on the merits of Bush's other policies. Lord knows I already do it enough with batya over AIM :)

[sdelmonte]

If you've debated with Batya, you've heard most of what I would have to say. As political as I am, though, I am not one for spirited debate anymore.

[kimpire.livejournal.com]

Darn you, you're no fun :p

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to go with Phil Ochs' answer to this one. I can't take gifts from someone like Bush, even if they're exactly what I wanted.

Here's what Phil said:

Spaceman
Phil Ochs

[first: the melody by itself, whistled]

Way high, so high:
Travelin' fast and free.
Spaceman, look down:
Tell me what you see.
Can you see the hunger there
Strike without a sound?
Can you see the food you burn
As you circle round?

Way high, so high:
All the world will cheer.
Spaceman, look down:
Tell me what you hear.
Can you hear a child cry,
Body filled with pain?
Deadly sores when cures are there--
How much fuel remains?

Way high, so high:
Spaceship made of steel.
Spaceman, look down:
Tell me what you feel.
Can you feel the money gone
As you sail through space?
Can you feel how many die
When you win the race?

Way high, so high:
Travelin' fast and free.
Spaceman, look down:
Tell me what you see.

[sdelmonte]

I've never subscribed to the notion that we cannot have a space program at the same time as we address our problems on the ground. But Mer's "castles" post from last week is much more eloquent than I am about this.

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

True, but what have we got on the ground? Power mad counter-terrorism isn't a platform I'd like to see us go to space with.

*hugs*
LMG

[poltr1]

Aye. By 2010 the shuttles will be nearly 30 years old. And as you said, the Democrats don't have a counter-plan in the work.

Curiously, there has been no mention of Dr. Zubrin and the Mars Society by anyone.