ISLAND ONE, a prime time family sitcom set on the High Frontier

Actually Burocrats tend to screw up in the minor things. Sometimes
it's just the smallest thing, the littlest regulation. Something like
a housing regulation or a behavior rule that defies logic. Something
some NGO comes up with. Something some 'Expert' decides. And when
things don't go as predicted, they put their foot down. Or their
little change of regulations without notice and then make them
retroactive. God have mercy if its housing and something like a
foundation is set to old standards, constructed, and then has to be
completely redug to meet the new standards. It gets worse if they
then change the regulations to different standards after that. Or
when they srew up and then go CYA. All kinds of opporunities for
mischief and humor in there.

As for the so called 'Right Wing extremists', they don't employ
activst judges to 'find' things for them in the constituion
through 'evolving standards' or 'International Law'. They get things
done by the people electing them to public office.

You're right. My novel isn't funny due to the subject matter. It took
a lot of research. Looking though a lot of terrible things. Meeting
in the written pages a lot of terrible people. Certainly it has left
me with a low opinion of people in general.

That is one of the reasons I have such an interest in O'Neal's vision
of space habitats.

Certainly, I have seen a lot of bad thigns in researching my novel.
It was quite a challenge, figuring out what connections the Professor
would have to make. Who would his allies be. Who his targets would
be. How he would eliminate Hitler and then rip his followers apart
from within. And then figuring out the consequences and how to deal
with them.

Certainly there would be consequences getting rid of Hitler. No
Hitler means no longer would the Wehrmacht be subject to his meddling
incompotence. Which would be bad news for Western Europe's Liberal
Democracies and the Soviet Union. Perhaps the United States.

No Hitler no nazi racist ideology might lead to a delay in the state
of Israil coming into being. No Middle East Crisis around Israil but
perhaps one centered around Italian or French colonialist efforts
clashing with arab nationalist movements. Perhaps no Atomic Bomb with
men like Albert Einstein no longer fearing a possible Reich Atomic
bomb but then turning their fears to an atomic bomb being owned by
anyone and the prospect that any American atomic bomb dropped in
europe might undoubtedly fall on a city with a large Jewish
population which might include their own relatives.

It might even lead to a German being the first man on the moon.
Greater interest in space and L5 due to the prospect or endless
Lebensraum, especially with a more socially conservate europe and
growing populations.

The consequences would be exponential and facinating.

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, "Xenophile"
wrote:
>
> --- In spacesettlers, "terrierkeeper" wrote:
>
> > Some of these Big Picture things would be hard to fit into a sit-
> > com.
> > THough they will be problems for future colonists.
>
> Yes, and yes.
>
> > Certainly Island Two will be the time when these things will
> > reallyy start popping up.
>
> Yes. By the time you have, not a few tens of thousands, but
millions
> of settlers, this stuff will come to a head. When even individual
> Islands have populations exceeding that of the old city-states, and
> there are dozens to hundreds of such, they become a force
(especially
> an economic force) to be reckoned with.
>
> > However Beurocrats are a good source of Comedy. There's nothing
> > funnier than a buffon in charge, unless it's real life.
>
> You have a point here. And looking over my earlier post, I see
that
> Episode Five is as follows:
>
> Ep. 5
> Ben thinks that a proposed change in priorities (slowing down
habitat
> construction to speed up powersat construction) might enhance the
> promotion he got the last episode. However, he also worries that
> this switch, if it happens, will jeopardize the entire space
> settlement movement. It would mean that the doubling rate of
> habitats would be seven years, instead of three.
> FEATURED TECH: Powersats
>
> So there is room for a blustering know-it-all or two. It's obvious
> that Ben didn't make the decision himself.
>
> > You might have an episode when some UN delegation coming up and
> > telling the colonists how to run their lives with a typical we
know
> > better than you attitude.
>
> Not sure it would be the UN. It would be whoever is footing the
> bill. If the Island is built by Exxon, then Exxon would be in
> charge; if the US gubmint built it, then some Congressional
> Subcommitee would run the show; and if the UN built it... Really,
> when has the UN tried to "rule" anything? Did they ever suggest
> running Somalia as a UN colony, or any such? The UN doesn't rule
> anything. They are exactly what you called them: bureaucrats.
They
> would load the place up with treaties and regulations, but probably
> couldn't care less if they tried how they picked their leaders.
>
> > These people, as with the left in general, think decisions and
> > power are from the top down rather than listening to the people
> > from whom their power actually comes.
>
> Which is exactly what liberals say about the right. This isn't
> conservative v liberal, it's the nature of power. Anyway, the last
> thing I would want to do with this show is a left v right thing.
Why
> piss off half the audience immediately, no matter which side I
choose?
>
> > One need only look to the news to see this in practice.
> >
> > As for his discouraging colonists, I doubt that thought would even
> > enter their petty little minds. Still I suppose they can be played
> > out for the clowns they are for great humor.
>
> It doesn't have to enter the bureaucrats minds; it only has to
enter
> the minds of the prospective colonists.
>
> > Personally, I find I enjoy a good drama. Something intellectually
> > challenging to the mind.
>
> Yes, these can be good when _Happy Days_ or _Tarzan and the Golden
> Lion_ wear thin. I like comedies for High Frontier stuff because
it
> introduces the idea in a non-treatening way to those who are not
> familiar with it. But there is plenty of room for drama, comedy,
> tragedy, politics, cop shows, porn, war, western-type, and more
> besides.
>
> > In my novel I have an Israili go back in time to prevent the
> > Holocaust. Which hardly provides anyone with any place for humor.
>
> Well, no, that doesn't sound like something that would go well with
a
> laugh track.
>
> > First he assasinates Hitler, then he starts ripping out the
> > machinery from within. While at the same time, there is the war
> > going on. Hardly any place for comedy to be played.
>
> Certainly not laugh-a-minute stuff, but it does sound interesting.
> The implications are huge (i.e., no Holocaust, no Isreal; no
Israel,