Thank You

To the editor:

I was most impressed with both your story and leader about NASA's Wasted
Billions.

You might not remember me, but last year I sent you an e-mail about
human space flight suggesting that, before we abandon humans in space,
we should at least try replacing the worst possible management scheme
with something better, something more in keeping with our shared ideas
with regard to liberty and democracy. I don't know how many others you
heard from with similar opinions. I hope it was many.

From the content of both the story and leader, I gather you have been
learning more about this unfortunate field of endeavor. The reference
to the Space Frontier Foundation especially indicates that you have.
They're a good group of people who are advancing, to the best of their
abilities, a free market, democratic approach to space.

Even if the ideas of humans building cities in space prove to be nothing
more than a modern fantasy, switching from the current dysfunctional
management model will improve dramatically work in this field. I am of
the opinion that if current practices do not change, the United States
will destroy what we can do in space now. Last July, in your survey of
the United States, one of the problems that you identified with my
country was the small number of people entering the fields of science
and engineering. I don't know if you know it, but young people are
starting to avoid careers in science and engineering. Why are they
doing this? Well, increasing numbers are citing "lies, abuse and
exploitation" as reasons to avoid work that should be wonderful. The
aerospace industry in particular is developing a terrible reputation
among the young, technical crowd. Also, what might surprise you, young
people in academia (home to so much left wing opinion) complain about
"exploitation." I guess if leftists are doing it, it's not
exploitation. :-)

I will give Tom DeLay (is his name really DeLay or Delay?) a small
point. NASA's vision is extraordinarily poor. It seems to be rooted in
the all too often poor science fiction of the 1920s and 30s. Today the
best visions are coming from those embracing freedom. And what's even
better, these visions don't preclude others.

Oh, I particularly loved your line about doing science in clown suit
atop a Ferris wheel. I'm wondering if I can find someone with a clown
suit for a memorably funny photograph.

I'm copying an e-mail list devoted to this topic and a couple friends of
mine.

Keep up the good work.

All the best,

Charles J. Divine