New Mars Forums

I agree.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_Eas … .html]Very interesting:

A new round of struggle begins. . .

Edited By BWhite on 1108480950

You beat me to this post of Dinerman's essay.

One cause of http://www.thespacereview.com/article/322/1]this problem - - IMHO - - is that the Vision for Space Exploration remains astonishingly vague.

Edited By BWhite on 1108388754

This is Mars - - Red & black.

Cobra, are you aware of this new piece of legislation?

It's about building barriers at the border

Check out the waiver of laws and no judicial review.

Interfere with building the wall and the Secretary can order you shot. No review.

Edited By BWhite on 1108156708

Carly Fiorina?

Especially today, with the unfolding Jeff Gannon story, it is obvious a propaganda war is being waged. By a large number of parties. But tell me, who has the biggest cannon?

It sure as heck ain't the liberals.

But perhaps no one is telling the truth. Which earns from me both a ??? and a  :;):

My comment to you was premised on my perception (perhaps wrong) that you want criticisms of the Administration to be "proven" while giving their version of events the benefit of the doubt. To demand "proof" and then impose an impossible standard before continuing on is a great way to sidetrack a discussion.

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But what is really funny (in a sick sort of way) is how far truth has fallen from favor. On all sides.

Tolstoy wrote that every man must choose: Hamlet or Don Quixote.

A Better choice than Hamlet or Othello.

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By the way, Thursdays are "one eyed hobos" night.

Free drinks, if they share their scoops. . .

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PS - - Forgot my new tagline: And this is Jeff Gannon, reporting. . .

Sooooh much easier to say than Jim Glockert, or whatever.

Edited By BWhite on 1108083790

Dude, brush up on your beltway lingo. Try:

"Space exploration potentialities and program related activities"

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Speaking of which, is there ANY news on Sean O'Keefe's possible replacement?

Fascism DOES have its attractions. I agree with that completely.

Likewise, I was annoyed, back in high school, when they tried to teach us that drugs, or beer, or sex, wasn't really fun. Of course those things are fun! Its just that when indulged imprudently, worse consequences ensue. 

Mob rule (unchecked democracy) is bad. I agree with that as well. The Founders of the American regime greatly feared mob-ocracy.

As far as I can tell, the goal in 1787 was to balance power, to prevent any one faction, any one party, any one officeholder from having unchecked power to impose tyranny.

One downside? Such a system makes it harder to get things done. Yup thats a problem and while making the trains run on time is not a bad thing in itself, the negative side effects of empowering a Mussolini offset the positive.

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Telling Harry Reid to shut up and stop obstructing our President may make sense =IF= getting stuff done was the highest and most pressing duty of our government. It isn't. Maintaining institutions that balance power is.

To give George W. Bush unprecedented power (absent a declared war) because 51% of Americans voted for him would seem to embrace that very mob-ocracy we both agreed was a bad thing.

Edited By BWhite on 1108066210

Shakespeare's play Henry V when read in conjunction with Henry VI has always struck me as a powerful argument against fascism.

Assume for sake of argument we get a truly great King. By literary mandate. Henry V is portrayed by Shakespeare as a nearly perfect king and England is happy, prosperous and free under the benevolent guidance of their sovereign. Then he dies and his son, Henry VI, is utterly incapable of continuing the tradition, and England is ruined.

For better or worse, the strength and wisdom of the legislative branch determines the political health of any republic because in that institution we have a collection of men and women who can carry on traditions that will span transitions in the holding of executive power. 

Like in space policy. A President who supports space policy is only really relevant if he can accomplish something before his term expires.

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Genuine introspection. This is why I believe Cobra Commander would make a worthy pro-consul. 

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Persuade me that a new Iraqi government dominated by Sistani's people is part of the "Bush plan" and I would be far more willing to give credit to this Administration for spreading democracy.

So much for my being a "cult-ist"

As a factual matter, however, I believe a Shia Islamic Iraq (even if relatively moderate and non-military) is very very far removed from what this Administration intended as the end-state consequence of the regime change decision.  (Edit: Recall how vigorously the US once opposed these Iraqi elections, seeking to postpone them until after a new constitution was written by caucuses we would help select.)   

Frankly, I do have hope that the Administration will decide that Sistani's coalition is the best we can do, and if they make that decision, Iraq will have many tough days ahead but also will have an optimistic future.

Edited By BWhite on 1108055911