Re: [OT] Columbia

On Tue, 4 Feb 2003 06:32:56 +0100 "K.H.Ranitzsch" 
<KH.Ranitzsch@t-online.de> wrote:

> That said, I don't like the simplistic line of arguing you seem to 
propose - either space exploration or social programs. There are other 
aspects of government spendng that might be considered and argued for 
or against in that context - military, infrastructure, other science, 
administrative costs, economic suppport of ailing industries, foreign 
aid. And - quite important - money well spent or squandered even in a 
good cause. We all know of acquirement scandals, pork-barrel and 
corruption. <

Oh, so true, Karl. But laserlight has a point: "social programs" and 
their proponents are always hungry for money, and it doesn't matter how 
much they are given, it's never enough -- not least of the reasons for 
which is that the proponents are always thinking of more "good" that 
they could do... "if we only had the funding." So anything that they 
can decry as a waste of money that could be put to "better" purposes is 
fair game.

It's like the arguments put up by some politicians and pundits (here 
and elsewhere) against certain kinds of military spending -- that 
such-and-such a new weapons system is too expensive and the money would 
provide tons of proven weapons instead (e.g., nukes vs conventional 
weapons, new aircraft vs continuing production of existing ones); thay 
argument always makes the assumption that the money in question would 
be spent on the other stuff; it's far more likely, IMO, that it'll be 
grabbed as a "peace dividend" and used for social programs and the 
like, or just to balance the govermental books!

What I have always thought is the best argument for the space program is
that it's one of the few human endeavours that truly looks to the _long_
term. That makes it unpopular with politicians, very few of whom can 
see beyond the next election, but doesn't change the facts. Jerry 
Pournelle has written loads of stuff showing that many current problems 
could be eliminated or greatly alleviated with a really good space 
capability, and I would refer anyone looking for arguments in that 
respect to look to his work.

And the fact is, if the human race is to survive in the long term, we 
need to get off this mudball and out into the universe. The Earth is a 
lovely world for us to live on, but it's not the only one and I would 
hate for short-sighted Proxmire-wannabes to make it into a prison for 
us.

Phil
----
(Dr) P.A. Atcliffe
Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
University of the West of England, Bristol
Phone: +44 (0)117 344 2496
Fax:   +44 (0)117 344 3800
Email: Phillip.Atcliffe@uwe.ac.uk