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International terrorism under the weirdly charismatic leadership of Osama Ben Laden, really does seem to be having the effect of a "3rd force threat syndrome" (like the "Dr No" character in the first James Bond 007 movie) to unify the opposing national regimes of the world. An Earthly version, in fact, of the fictional alien threats from space represented by "V" or "Independence Day." I wonder what the "Ben Laden Effect" will have on the our future (say) 20 years from now? Shouldn't we take advantage of the unifying effect our very own "proxy-alien" is handing us on a platter--for instance, to foster international cooperation in space?
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I agree 100% that it should serve as a unifying force but it won't. Despite all the big talk most people in the world reaally could care less about manned space! Most of them won't care about space travel until that fateful day arrives when it is discovered that a huge asteriod is hurtling toward the earth and we need to go out and divert it or we will all be the victims of an Extinction Level Event. But even then the world will just look to the United States and say well you people went to the moon in 1969.....can't NASA just quickly cobble something together quick and dirty and go take care of the problem? And I guess NASA will just throw up its hands and say its too risky of a mission if astronauts ever have to go to a destination that precludes using the International Space Station as a lifeboat!
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Alternatively, we have the "private enterprise" option--and, from what I've been reading, Burt Rutan & Co. are doing their utmost to get back on the Moon "in his lifetime." It won't take a lot of enthusiasts at each stage in the effort. Just the ability to progress steadily dispite the distractions of so-called "World News Crises" in the media. Concentrate on what's needed to make it up to LEO, routinely and dramtically, while carrying out the tasks in microgravity which are necessary in order to live and thrive in cis-Lunar space.
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Since the last post, the earthquake and aftershocks in eg. Pakistan controlled Kasmire, where Osama & Company are said to be operating from.... I wonder if the lack of any news regarding Nato's possible imminent contribution to rescuing the populance before the snows set in without seeming to be on the prowl, could (hopefully) be of any significance?
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