Well, the usual luddite misanthropic screeds attacking space exploration have begun.

[Odin2005]

:puke:

[Deep13]

1. Here's mine.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6109675&mesg_id=6109675

[drm604]

6. That was a great post!

:toast:

[onager]

2. Anyone else remember the sci-fi story "God Bless Them?"

I may have some of these facts wrong, but as I remember it:

Many years ago, some asshat Repub congress-critter got NASA's funding slashed. More reasonable people argued that, aside from the other benefits of space travel, it was a matter of national security. Since the Russians at the time were still spending lots of money on their space program.

The asshat said something like: "If the Russians want to waste their money in outer space, I say 'God bless them.'"

The story used asshat's quote as its title. Then depicted a future where the Russians and their allies control outer space. And the U.S. is a technological backwater, reduced to something like Third World status because of that long-ago decision to cut NASA funding.

Deep13, that was a great post. Thanks.

[TheWraith]

3. Sounds like something Ben Bova would write. nt

[salvorhardin]

4. Actually it was Gordon R. Dickson

But it was edited by Bova. :D

God Bless Them, (nv) , The Best of Omni SF No. 3, B. Bova & D, Myrus eds, Omni, 1982
c.f.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_Bibliography_of_Gordon_R._Dickson#G

[TheWraith]

5. Bova's wrote something similar in "Privateers," as I recall. nt