Re: Mission to Mars

>> I mean, seriously, the only people who get to vote are
>>those who enter the military? Aside from the fact that any party that
tried
>to
>>put that into effect would be committing political suicide, the
economic
>>effects would be awful. 
>
>???
>This isn't what the book says.
>
>It says that in order to vote, you must have performed some involuntary
public
>service for a few years. What in the UK would be called "National
Sevice".

I tread very warily getting into this, because this is a real minefield
of
a debate, that has been hashed out to DEATH in a wide variety of
forums...

But that is just wrong.  The book says nothing at all about involuntary
public service.  The whole POINT of Heinlein's citizenship was that it
involved VOLUNTARY public service as a measure of a person's worthiness
to
be one of those entrusted with the responsibility of voting on the
society's future, etc.

Irrespective of whether or not you buy into his ideas, and I'm not
advocating a view on either side here, it ain't about involuntary
service
at all...

To quote a luminary:

" *Read* *The* *Book*. Do it carefully, making sure you read what it
says, not what you thought it says, nor what others have told you it
says."

Ok, I'm being a smartass... *G*

Seriously though, as I mentioned in another post, check out:

http://www.kentaurus.com/troopers.htm

It's an interesting discussion about SST - both the book and the movie.
He's got very specific viewpoints on them, but it makes for an
interesting
read for those interested in this debate.  Again, I'm not advocating one
side or t'other, but check it out.  And maybe, before this heats up on
OUR
list, we can let this thread die a peaceful death... :)

Adrian

Adrian Johnson
adrian.johnson@sympatico.ca