New Member

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, Steve Long wrote:
>
> victoriatangoman wrote:
> >
> > ... lots of stuff ...
> >
> > failing at it will be convincing. Or will you then offer us the
> > socialist excuse, "well, we just didn't do it the right way, so we
> > should try to do it again but the right way this time . ." ad
> > infinitum until the end of time.
> >
> As I pointed out before, that was Edison's approach to inventing the
> light bulb. Seemed to work for him ...
>
> > ... more stuff ...
>
> > Mars is a religion for a lot of these folks, and nothing will shake
> > their faith.
> >
> I respectfully submit this question to the group: In the most-recent
> series of exchanges, which responder seems most religiously fervent
> about their beliefs?
>
> > ... more stuff ...
>
> > Absolutely not. The time is ripe to squish the Mars meme before it
> > ruins us all.
> >
> And here we see the biggest problem in America, most recently
> reflected in the political campaign of 2004. There is no middle
> ground. "My side is right and no one else has anything to contribute,
> so we must crush the unbelievers because they waste our time."
> There's no moderation or compromise any more. There's only zealotry,
> mania, and labeling, which saves the necessity of thought. If you
> disagree, I'll call you a (fill in the blank). Thus I weaken your
> support among people who fear this label.
>
> You members who live outside the US, try not to let your countries get
> to this point. We have become infected with a football approach to
> social interaction. Here, moderation and reasoned discourse are for
> wimps. Life at the extremes of the opinionated bell curve is where
> it's at, and an expression of a dissenting fact, even an "Are you
> sure?", is grounds for the eruption of war.
>
> Steve

Steve, I feel you have hit the nail on the head. As the United States
becomes more polarized, I become more doubtful that we will survive.

I am not anti-space habitat. But I feel that Tangoman wants to close
an option without even examining it.

Logic is nice, but it may not fit reality.

Example:
No cat has eight tails
One cat has one more tail than no cat
Therefore, all cats have nine tails

Please note I am leaving out Manx cats which have no tails.

I have also been rather careless with my use of the word "no".

I am sorry to have stirred Tangoman up on this. I suspect that any
agrument many strengthen his views. I have tried very hard not to let
his attitude push me into advocating Mars over space settlements.

But it rubs me the wrong way when he sounds so certain on very
insufficient data.

In my teens, I was sure of so much. In my 60s, I'm sure of so little.

I wonder at times if growing up isn't a matter of learning to live
with uncertainities.

Rick Brooks