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A march on the cap isn't a bad idea. As Anton said though, it would be hard getting everyone to where they need to be. A different twist on that, however, would be to start local and work up to national....start by organizing state-wide marches on their respective state capitals, simultaneously, around the country. That would show solidarity, seriousness, organization, and allow people without the fundage/ability to actually fly to the Washington, D.C. area.
It could also be stepped up, and go international...imagine people marching on their respective capitals not only in Albany, Sacremento, etc...but also in London, Moscow, and Paris!
Yes, the local turn-outs would be slightly smaller, but it would work as a great P.R. event, and a motivator for a nation-wide march on Washington.
Great thread you started here!
Joe Spencer
San Diego, CA
Member, The Mars Society
Shaun,
Great post! I agree with you. I think my inflection came off a bit off-base of what I was thinking, however. I should have added the line '..and the cost of my training was well worth it!' hehe
I do agree that the money must come from somewhere, and military funding is the most viable place to funnel it from....but you are right about 'walking that tightrope' when it comes to security...it is a debate that has lasted many years, and will surely continue...maybe one day we'll have an accountant for a president instead of a baseball team owner (nothing against G.W. I think he's doing a bang-up job)....and they can start straightening things out!
Hey guys,
Interesting thread. *throws his two cents in*
Remember one thing about military spending:
It's not all for hardware.
We may have the most technologically advanced military in the world (anyone who can nuke a 3rd world country while watching Family Feud 10,000 miles away is pretty advanced, IMHO), it takes alot of money to train the personnel to run said equipment.
I remember seeing figures when I was in Submarine School in Groton, Connecticut, concerning how much per capita it cost to train each of us. I gasped at the thought of the government spending a half a mil on my 13 months of training! In my mind, at the time, there was nothing they could teach us that cost that much!
I do agree, however, that some of that cashito should be funneled to more scientific research projects (albeit space related, medical, whatever).
Anyway, there's my input. Keep this thread up it is interesting!
*edited out a spelling mistake*
...I guess that this is all in the assumption that the first people to colonize Mars will be given a choice....I don't mean that in a negative way, but think about this...it takes alot of support and funding to start a colony from scratch. Private interest groups? A nice thought, but highly unlikely. A government, or a group of governments? Most likely...I see the communistic 'at first' approach likely, as that will be a necessity (living on what you have to start off, everyone will be severely dependent on everyone else...commonality will prevail until quality of life is increased)....don't think of this as being a negative statement, I'm just looking at the wide spectrum of thoughts cruising around in my head...but the idea that, say a group of American/British/whatever colonists would want to accept a long term style of government not of their original background is a bit...well...idealistic...it's a nice thought, but not exactly 'in the cards'...
Please correct me if I'm offbase here.
Respectfully,
Joe Spencer
Member
The Mars Society- San Diego Chapter
Here Here.
Total agreement. While it may look good as a headline, the last thing needed in a delicate lobby like ours is misread headlines.
I hope, as you do, that tensions will ease and logic will prevail. Collaborating on a project of this magnitude would be beneficial to all parties involved, without someone trying to make themselves Caesar of the First Galactic Mouse Colony (sorry it's late here...had to post it hehe.)
Anyway, Zubrin has a good head on his shoulders, as does Musk...it should work out fine.
Respectfully,
Joe Spencer
Member
The Mars Society- San Diego Chapter
Bill,
While I didn't receive an email concerning the robotics fundraising, I did see the announcements on their site. While I won't give them my money (MS first...you know how it is), I will lend them some verbal support. I hope they are able to pull off some research missions. The information that they are able to bring back would be invaluable...but wouldn't it conflict, however slightly, with the NASA R.A.T.s program they are doing? (you know, the cute little robots with diamond teeth they want to send up to crack open some geodes on the Red Planet...hehe)
Anyway, just my thoughts.
Respectfully,
Joe Spencer
Member
The Mars Society- San Diego Chapter
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