RE: Where would you send your tax dollars?

RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (Full Version)

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Moonhead -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/14/2011 2:01:15 PM)
In fact, this is something I've read up on a fair bit: the bulk of the alleged innovations the space race produced were already in place, and just retooled for new purposes, so claiming that it produced vast breakthroughs is stretching the point a little. But again, why would colonising a planet with gravity low enough to render any native born colonists incapable of living anywhere else, a climate that can freeze mercury, and little or no evidence of exploitable resources be a more worthwhile undertaking than goldmines* on the moon, or robot prospectors in the asteroid belt? *(Hi, pahunkboy!)

Lucylastic -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/14/2011 2:02:41 PM)
4. Health care for those who can't afford it. Those who can can pay their own way. Hey Marc:) smewch Edited to add, I pressed send too fast

Marc2b -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 6:15:50 AM)
quote: In fact, this is something I've read up on a fair bit: the bulk of the alleged innovations the space race produced were already in place, and just retooled for new purposes, so claiming that it produced vast breakthroughs is stretching the point a little. But again, why would colonising a planet with gravity low enough to render any native born colonists incapable of living anywhere else, a climate that can freeze mercury, and little or no evidence of exploitable resources be a more worthwhile undertaking than goldmines* on the moon, or robot prospectors in the asteroid belt? *(Hi, pahunkboy!) Because it's there.

Moonhead -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 7:43:40 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Marc2b Because it's there. So let somebody climb up there with a backpack full of Kendal mint cake, then. [;)]

Lucylastic -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 7:44:40 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Moonhead quote: ORIGINAL: Marc2b Because it's there. So let somebody climb up there with a backpack full of Kendal mint cake, then. [;)] ok now I have a hankering for some kendals, sigh

mnottertail -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 7:45:28 AM)
An international haven for couch potatoes. Huh? Is that a capitalistic mind at work or what?

Moonhead -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 7:53:19 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Lucylastic quote: ORIGINAL: Moonhead quote: ORIGINAL: Marc2b Because it's there. So let somebody climb up there with a backpack full of Kendal mint cake, then. [;)] ok now I have a hankering for some kendals, sigh Sorry, couldn't resist. (I just get a bit fed up of people trotting out that "Because it's there" line, without considering the full context of Mallory's comment.)

Marc2b -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 8:10:11 AM)
quote: So let somebody climb up there with a backpack full of Kendal mint cake, then. [;)] Well I tried downing seven Coffe Crisps' and flapping my arms really fast once... but it didn't work. Bottom line for me is that the old "we have to solve our problems here first," line is means we will never go because we have never solved our problems and we never will. Even if we solve all our problems, people (being the natural whiners that we are) will find more problems that need to be solved. So we have a choice: we can sit around on this one planet waiting for our demise as a species... or we can expand outward.

Lucylastic -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 8:15:53 AM)
I bet poor people make great fuel

mnottertail -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 8:16:54 AM)
could we turn azealeas into fuel, ya think?

Lucylastic -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 8:18:07 AM)
two huge problems solved to make one easier, YAYYYYYYYYYYY

Moonhead -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 8:18:29 AM)
You're aware that there are very few species that bugger off somewhere else rather dying of a population crash after wrecking their environment, I hope? You're also aware that the vast expenditure of non renewal resources and money it'd take to get a colony set up on Mars are a lot more likely to hasten than prevent our demise as a species. A colony that's dependent on supply runs from home isn't going to be much of an ark when things go tits up here, is it? (As for existing problems: poverty, overpopulation, ecological vandalism and political authorities with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement are in the "Because it's there" category as well.)

Marc2b -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 8:21:54 AM)
quote: I bet poor people make great fuel Yes... but it's too much of a hassel trying to jam them into the fuel tank. But, with a little training, they might make good refinery employees and then not be poor anymore.

Lucylastic -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 8:24:08 AM)
[8\|]

Marc2b -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 8:28:39 AM)
quote: You're aware that there are very few species that bugger off somewhere else rather dying of a population crash after wrecking their environment, I hope? So? I know of no rule book that say we have to emulate other species. We are our own species and one uniquely situated to control its own destiny. quote: You're also aware that the vast expenditure of non renewal resources and money it'd take to get a colony set up on Mars are a lot more likely to hasten than prevent our demise as a species. That's debateable. As a percentage of the overall resources we use on a daily basis... would it really be that much? quote: A colony that's dependent on supply runs from home isn't going to be much of an ark when things go tits up here, is it? If we do it right, the colony would only be dependent for a few years. The goal would be to make it independent. quote: (As for existing problems: poverty, overpopulation, ecological vandalism and political authorities with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement are in the "Because it's there" category as well.) Why can't we do both? Are we really that limited as a species?

Moonhead -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 8:40:13 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Marc2b quote: You're aware that there are very few species that bugger off somewhere else rather dying of a population crash after wrecking their environment, I hope? So? I know of no rule book that say we have to emulate other species. We are our own species and one uniquely situated to control its own destiny. quote: You're also aware that the vast expenditure of non renewal resources and money it'd take to get a colony set up on Mars are a lot more likely to hasten than prevent our demise as a species. That's debateable. As a percentage of the overall resources we use on a daily basis... would it really be that much? Yep, it would. If we're talking about establishing a self sufficient colony, that'd take the sort of investment that'd make even Saint Ronnie shit himself. quote: A colony that's dependent on supply runs from home isn't going to be much of an ark when things go tits up here, is it? If we do it right, the colony would only be dependent for a few years. The goal would be to make it independent. That'd take rather longer than a few years. Even if raw materials could be sourced there, being able to manage even basic manufacturing with them would require an enormous expenditure and investment, which you don't seem to have considered in your prior point. quote: (As for existing problems: poverty, overpopulation, ecological vandalism and political authorities with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement are in the "Because it's there" category as well.) Why can't we do both? Are we really that limited as a species? We can't manage either, never mind doing both. Chauvinism aside, we are not half as flexible a species as we like to imagine.

OrionTheWolf -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 9:19:33 AM)
Education K-12 Education post High School, including vocation or professional. Research and development of alternate fuels. Most of this should be self explanatory.

willbeurdaddy -> RE: Where would you send your tax dollars? (6/15/2011 3:10:05 PM)
FR To my favorite charity.

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