Bob, you are very adept at stating what is wrong with, well with everything. But you’ve never stated in a clear, concise to the point and coherent manner what NASA should do, if anything.

What should NASA’s mission be? Should NASA be shut down? Should the US leave space exploration to the Russians, ESA, India and China etc? How do we get to privatization of space “usage” if privatization is the goal? What is the private sectors’ incentive to go beyond LEO?

Stop throwing bricks long enough to build something instead.

If Mike wishes to argue that the NYT is seriously misguided in their space Op Eds and that this has had a negitive impact on the United States, that is fine — and I wouldn’t fully disagree with him, at least in the past. The NYT was dead wrong on the HST and they have implicitly acknowledged that by definding it to the hilt (even before recent events). I have only argued that many of Mr. Bush’s military and social/economic policies are very seriously misguided and are likely to do severe damage the United States (and any Moon-Mars initiative) in the long term. Whether I am right or wrong, that is a fair position for me to have.

However, I have not called Mr. Bush, “slanderous, lying vermin” nor asked that he “cook in [his] own spite.”

It is the difference between constructive criticism and name calling. It’s a fine line, and there may be occasion when I go over it (though I try always not to), but it is a very important line. I am willing to agree to disagree with my conservative compatiates when we do agree about space, while not backing off of my criticism of Mr. Bush where I think he is wrong. It looks to me like many of my Conservative friends are not prepared to return the favor.

— Donald

Pot to kettle, you’re black!

Don’t you have anything different to add?

What manned programs have they recently supported?

I didn’t get the meme, when did this happen?

”
2). They are now our allies, you idiots. Human spaceflight in the near future will not have the kind of broad constiuency that, say, automobiles and the freeway lobby have, yet it costs that kind of money. If we want the President’s vision to succeed, we need to build as broad a constituency as we possibly can. Telling the NYT names — by extension NYT readers like myself — is not a good way to get their support.”

With allies like that, one needs no enemies. The NYT has shown nothing but contempt for human space exploration for decades. I am simply returning the favor for a change. If they are going to reform, they are going to have to earn my trust. Right now, I hold the NYT in less regard than the National Enquirer. The NYT is worse because they do a better job couching their disinformation in a veil of competence.

”
4). It seems to me that if we have time to call each other names, rather than engage in constructive dialog, we are not wisely using our time and skills to further the cause we all agree on.”

Didn’t call you personally any names, just the NYT. If you are that emotionally attached to a newspaper, any newspaper for any reason, I sincerely pity you sir. It is a newspaper, please don’t respond as if I called your parentage into question.

It is way past overdue for Oberfuher Pinchy to be called to task for the damage he has done this nation and the space program in particular, for that I hold no sorrow, I resreve my NYT related sorrow only for all the pine trees that die for that disinformation printed daily.

Two thumbs up!