New Mars Forums

oker56

Banned

Registered: 2002-06-30

Posts: 85

Re: Writing our politicians

It seems the real bottleneck is politicians and a public educated to think mars and space colonization is impossible.  I don't know how to reach the few voters of this nation which Zubrin shows to actually be interested in space activities, but to get all the politicians on the same page, we need to organize all the space activists we can(the planetary society, nss, and so on) to write the various capital hill people pretty close to the same time, with roughly the same understanding of what needs to be done(get some of our aerospace industries to make the rockets we know they can, and fund the mars mission).  All I can think of is getting Zubrin to convince those other space activist groups to reach out through their mags, e-mail lists or whatever, and get their followers to write their congressmen all at the same time. 

The first thing that needs to happen there is for those space activist groups to publish an article or two outlining Zubrin's ideas.  Get a vote(and hence an idea of how many of their followers understand and support Zubrin's ideas), and then if the vote is well in the majority of supporting Zubrin's ideas, then follow up with an front page editorial saying, WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMEN NOW!

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Writing our politicians

WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMEN NOW!

*For those who do opt to personally write their governmental representatives, at least here in the USA I'd suggest writing them via snail-mail, i.e. envelope and postage stamp.  Apparently most of our reps consider a *real* piece of mail a much more genuine token of conviction and purpose than
"mere" e-mail.  I don't know the preference of politicans in other nations, of course.

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Phobos

Member

Registered: 2002-01-02

Posts: 1,103

Re: Writing our politicians

Ecrasez is right, if you write to a political figure, they tend to take paper mail more seriously than the electronic counterpart.  Well at least the interns they have working for them do.

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To achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd

Adrian

Moderator

From: London, United Kingdom

Registered: 2001-09-04

Posts: 642

Website

Re: Writing our politicians

Absolutely. When you receive an email, you can always ignore it or just write it off as being a fake or whatever. When you receive a letter, it's so much more genuine (especially because it costs money to send and produce) and not only does it demand attention, it also demands an individual reply. Plus, you can have a stack of letters which looks impressive physically.

Problem is, writing a letter takes more time and money than an email - which is both why people pay more attention to them, and why fewer people write them 

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Editor of [url=http://www.newmars.com]New Mars[/url]

Earthfirst

Member

From: Phoenix Arizona

Registered: 2002-09-25

Posts: 343

Re: Writing our politicians

Great idea lets march to the capital and tell those beltway insiders that we mean to go to mars. The could say that all those billions of dollars should go towards social programs to help the poor childern, Who cares! In the past do gooding politions have taking money away from the space program "NASA" and put it into social programs. An example was the great society of Johnson eara. That good did it do nothing, all that idid was to cancel the Apolow program and set back space expolation back years. Putting men on the moon was great, but wouldnt it have been beter if a premite maned base was founded. It sure would make mission to mars a lot easyer if they could be stage at the moon. Instead of in earth orbit which is lot more dangerous. Sure a few childern got government cheesse, but the moon and mars got the shaft. luckly in the 80's Reagen saved the day with his star wars move. If you dint you know the government used the move serse as a cover to bluid there own Death Star hidden under the White house. Shhhhh it's top secert. But Space cant wait for some hungry childern, so wacth out when Democrats start taking about the poor childern all they are doing is given out money for votes. They care about Mars, only about there Markist dreams of Power!
"Like in 1984 where tech is at a stand still and fredom is dead, the only save place to be is on Mars. Long live the Ministry of peace,love, and Fredom so as long as I am on mars. They want there marist dream, and care about the freedom loving people of Mars" Redplage 1917-1992 lets not make the same misstake as Jonhson did and demand Mars know."
Hey what can I say I had a lot of time, and its fun! :0 

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I love plants!

Offline

turbo

Banned

From: Jacksonville, Florida

Registered: 2002-08-01

Posts: 76

Re: Writing our politicians

Uh, enjoyed the tirade.  Suggest you look up "sovereign citizenship" , read a few books, and get the idea this forum has members NOT in or from the US.

Dear UK, Australia, and Canada members:
As ex-Navy I fully understand "ugly American", please believe we are a diverse people.  Myself or my children may be unable to stand on the surface of Mars, but if able would like to help you and yours do so.

Phobos, I think someone is in need of a metal hat!

turbo

Shaun Barrett

Member

From: Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Registered: 2001-12-28

Posts: 2,843

Re: Writing our politicians

Hey, turbo!
    I think Earthfirst is only kidding around ( ... I hope! ).

    I had trouble interpreting what he said, though. Who was it, speaking of America and Britain, who described them as two peoples divided by a common language?!!
                                     

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The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it Jumping Up and Down.   - Rita Rudner

Phobos

Member

Registered: 2002-01-02

Posts: 1,103

Re: Writing our politicians

Hey, turbo!
   I think Earthfirst is only kidding around ( ... I hope! ).

   I had trouble interpreting what he said, though. Who was it, speaking of America and Britain, who described them as two peoples divided by a common language?!!

NASA's budget is a pittance compared to the funding that's allocated to social and military programs.  And anyhow, as the old argument goes, if we wait for all of our problems to be solved before we go into space, we'll never be going into space.  I think its good to have an organization like NASA that mostly focuses on developing technology for peaceful uses.  A lot of that "useless playing around in space" provides good technology that has applications here on Earth that doesn't involve killing people.

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To achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd

Earthfirst

Member

From: Phoenix Arizona

Registered: 2002-09-25

Posts: 343

Re: Writing our politicians

You are right I was just kidding around, but my point about spending billions of dolars on social programs being a waste I stand by. Nasa could use those funds and invent many wonderful things, beside there are a lot of chairitys that take care of the poor. The church has been helping out people for thousands of years long before people got the idea that it was the government job! Church meaning all christen groups in general they all do great jobs. Like where I live St Marys food bank has being the poor in the Valley of the Sun for years "Phoenix Arizona", and many other groups too. My point being the public is beter at taking care of the needed, while big government tends to wastse most of the funds. An example is social secerty being neither for secerty or for you, until you reach 65. Even then you get hardly anything back that you put in. Private chritys like the Salvation Army do far better job, just look back at 911 and what a good job they did. The government is much beter at research and expolation than helping people, in my veiw they should stick to what they best, and leave social program to private people. That way things would work out much better.
Also I dont know how your government works in Britan or Austrialia, but from what I hread very since you got ride guns, let emigration from who knows whre flood in your counrtys have experince incresed crime, drug abuse, and falling values. You should have know that would of happen if you lreaned from history. Come your history goes back thousands of years, compared to America shorty 230 years. One good thing about your social and moral falling out is that America can lrean from your misstake. Although the leftest in America seem bent on following your example. If it was not for Tony Blare in England you might have North Kora, Iran, and Irag over in paris siging some treaty given them every thing the want, and "proclaiming that we have peace in are time". Sound like the time you bent over backwards for hitler, and Musilenne. I wonder how that turn out? 
Call me an "ugly American" turbo man I like to think of my self as an angry American a great song by Tobby Keth you brits and Ause should listen to it some time. So you know what you are getting into went insult an American.
Also you can blem it on the weather, it does not rain for 9 mouths of the year here in Phoenix.You might think that it a blessing fun in the sun all year long, but for most of the time it over a hunderd degress. You get sunburned if take a walk in the park, buzards follow you around when hike in the Phoenix mountain preserve. It makes a person very erable, Please will cool off soon 90 as a night low just does not seem cool!!!!!!

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I love plants!

Earthfirst

Member

From: Phoenix Arizona

Registered: 2002-09-25

Posts: 343

Re: Writing our politicians

If I miss spelled a few words its Arizonas schools fault, I was in top 20% of my high class for grades. In other places it might not be kosher but here were 50% of all the people are rednecks its a oky. Hey its fine with me I got into ASU the number one party school in America,  'Fun in the sun has a hold new meaning to me now". But for all you Mars people, ASU has been involed with Mars for years. Shuch probs like Mars 2001,and Path finder. So if the next Mars prob crashes dont get mad at NASA, get mad at the Arizona school system!!  
Go Sun Devils!!!!!!

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I love plants!

TJohn

Banned

Registered: 2002-08-06

Posts: 149

Re: Writing our politicians

Now since we have a majority ruled Congress, we should renew "Operation Congress".  I think that we should emphasize nuclear propulsion research and development.  That seems the most current and available technology that has proven results.  I say that someone come up with a new letter that can be sent to the sentators, representatives, V.P., and the President.  I'm interested in any comments.

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One day...we will get to Mars and the rest of the galaxy!!  Hopefully it will be by Nuclear power!!!

soph

Member

Registered: 2002-11-24

Posts: 1,492

Re: Writing our politicians

since our congress likes to throw in pork, to sneak it in, maybe we might want to have them sneak a thing here, another there.  small things in the bill, barely noticeable, but adding up. 

for those who dont know, pork is throwing in an unrelated issue, like kansas farm irrigation in a star wars defense bill.  it is a common way of shoving political agendas through.