Moon the Need for SPS

Every time I read something like this I can't help contrast the
feeling of wonder, inspiration, and relief I would feel on every
launch to orbit that was needed to build the infrastructure
necessary for SPS compared to the misery, pain, dread and fear of
what confronts the West, no correct that, America and the UK, as
they struggle mightly to stabilize a region that is a basketcase and
a populace that loves anti-American conspiracy theories.

Iraqi Teenagers Cheer as American Blood Flows
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=reutersEdge&storyID=3806528

"This is good. If they ask me, I will join the resistance. The
Americans have to die," said Ali Qais, 15. "They are just here to
steal our oil."

Yeah right. The US is spending 4x on Iraq compared to what it
imports from the whole of the Middle East. Let this canard die once
and for all.

"Teenage boys were irritated to hear that two American soldiers were
just wounded, not killed."

"He even believes that U.S. troops plant the bombs themselves,
risking American lives to terrify and kill Iraqis."

Who on this list believes that this Faustian bargain the US has made
will end with Iraq? For those who oppose the war and now want the US
to leave Iraq to the Iraqis, do you think that all will be peaches
and cream with the American withdrawal? Do you think that the region
will become as stable and as sensible as the suburbia you inhabit?
Tell me why you foresee this outcome?

For those who are supporting the war and the occupation, tell me how
much more blood and treasure is going to be required in the coming
years to stablize the region? What are your limits? Do you believe
in the domino theory of an Iraqi democracy destabilizing the
neighboring countries and with this process all will be sweetness
and light? Why will this work when you see the structural
underpinnings of the region rotting away?

The hard-hearted, but unmentioned, option is to embark on a
Manhattan Project of SPS energy independence and leave the Middle
East to fester in its own stew. They don't want the West involved,
fine, let's pull out and let them have their Seventh Century Islamic
ideal.

In the end, I'd rather be reading about another launch into orbit,
and another SPS being built and another electrolysis plant making
cheap hydrogen, and yes, even how inefficient and bloated NASA is as
it undertakes this project (of course a free market approach would
be preferrable, but I'll even take NASA) than be confronted daily
with the morass we are in and for which there is no clear exit. Do
you think speeding up the timetable to hand over power to the Iraqis
is going to solve the problems? Clearly it's an attempt by Bush to
extracate his administration from Iraq before he faces an election,
yet how is a job half done in Iraq worthy of the strategy that
preceded the war?

CIA Report Says U.S. Losing Popular Support in Iraq
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3808966

"...noted that no member of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing
Council nor any other Iraqi politician had shown an ability to lead
the nation following the U.S.-led invasion in March that chased
President Saddam Hussein from power, the official said."

And this is the situation that prompts them to speed up the
handover. If this happens, we'll be back at square one. Iraq will
still be a morass, Saddam is gone, and the US and the rest of the
world hasn't gained anything.

It's been reported that the Iraqis are ashamed that the Americans
had to come and liberate them from Saddam and it wounds their pride
that they couldn't do the job themselves, so now they're turning on
the Americans. Iraq will never be a post-WWII Germany or Japan. They
psyche of the population and many other factors are completely
different. ISTM that we're invoking the post hoc ergo propter hoc
fallacy. We rebuilt Japan and Germany after WWII and they became
successful societies, therefore our aid is what made them successful
societies. So too will this transpire in Iraq.

When the Americans do withdraw, the insurgents will proclaim their
victory in driving the Americans out. The anti-American hatred will
remain, perhaps even be stronger. The billions poured into Iraq will
be unappreciated. Why even bother, if the region can't even see the
morass it's in?

Let's cut and run, and launch to the future.

Well folks, that's what I really think.

TangoMan