New Member

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, "Richard" wrote:

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

Steve and Rick,

Perhaps I've done you a disservice in arguing against, not your
positions, but the accumulation of Mars Advocates positions I've
encountered over the years and their zeal.

As I wrote earlier, this is an "angel on head of pin" debate. My
earlier invocation of worthless ideologies was meant to highlight
indefensible positions, not to imply moral equivalence. Sorry if there
was a misunderstanding.

Now, the indefensible position I've been arguing against is the whole
Mars terraforming bit, which I note you haven't been advocating. Hence
the disservice to you.

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

I have no problems with gathering data about Mars. I am in support of
the Mars probes we've had thus far and would support more.

Again, much of my tone is borne from frustation arising from previous
debates and I brought that into this one.

To sum up, I've no problem with gathering data on Mars. I've no
problem with research bases on Mars. I simply see no basis for trade
and civilizational development there. I think it is fantasy for the
Zubrin folks to be planning and advocating terraforming, but I was
mistaken in attributing that vision to you. I assumed too much about
your positions, in short, I argued against strawmen at the extreme end
of the debate.

That said, I'm still curious about the *why* of setting up on Mars
anything beyond research bases. Do you have any insight that others
have lacked?

TangoMan