Next month the state of Washington will hold party primaries for the US Senate seat currently held by Maria Cantwell. There are several people competing against Cantwell in the Democratic primary (although she is very much the frontrunner), one of whom is Michael Goodspaceguy Nelson. That’s right, Michael Goodspaceguy Nelson. Mr. Nelson, a former Libertarian candidate for governor, doesn’t appear to have a campaign web site, but he has something better: a blog. And it’s a doozy. It appears Mr. Nelson is very fascinated with space colonization: a noble pursuit, to be certain, but an odd topic to base one’s campaign upon. It should be noted that he hasn’t posted an entry in his blog since July 19: perhaps he’s too busy on the campaign trail. Or building an orbital space colony. As the reader who pointed this candidate out to me said in an email, “And we wonder why our issue doesn’t have more political credibility.”
I’m not sure why this hurts credibility. From looking at his blog, he seems over enthusiastic, but what is the “appropriate” level of interest from a candidate?
I’m not sure why this hurts credibility. From looking at his blog, he seems over enthusiastic, but what is the “appropriate” level of interest from a candidate?
It’s not the overenthusiasm that hurts his credibility. What hurts his credibility, based on my reading of his last few blog entries, is that he appears to be a raving loon.
Noah was pilloried. Maybe we need a Christians for Space Settlement PAC.
You know, for a second there i thought i was reading a post from our Space Cynics blog instead of your usual political/serious postings.
As for Noah – he was an idiot. 2 members from each species was nowhere near large enough a sample size to ensure a healthy gene pool for repopulation of those species after the great flood.
Sam, Maybe we need a Christians for Space Settlement PAC.
I’ve observed before that, historically, a primary motivation for colonization has been religion. This is not only to escape persicution, but to spread the word, and even for colonization for its own sake. Except for the relatively great difficulty involved in the current frontier, I see no reason for things to be different in the future.
— Donald
“Faith-based” aerospace engineering seems questionable, however…”if I pray hard enough, Zeus will provide sufficient ISP for my payload” doesn’t seem an appropriate methodology for improving one’s TRL readiness.
Sam, the religious colonists who used sailing ships to get to the New World did not necessarily design the ships — though I’m sure some of them did. I am in no way defending religion. I’m not a particularly religious person, nor do I think that religion by and large has been a particularly positive influence on human development. None of that changes the fact that religion has motivated many human activities, including colonization.
It is also worth noting that religion has motivated many multi-generational projects — e.g., the European cathedrals (was the flying buttress “faith based architecture?”). I could easily see religion motivating similar long-term projects in the future.
— Donald
Donald –
I understand your POV; I’m just musing on the potential of a tribe of the defiantly “non reality-based” setting out to colonize the Solar System…on the shoulders of giants, indeed.
“I could easily see religion motivating similar long-term projects in the future.”
Don,
What makes you think that? Religion has such a marginal impact on U.S. politics today, that I find your suggestion hard to believe.
– Al
PS — As most of us here know, everything in space is “political” in nature. I don’t know how, but religion WILL be play a significant role … sooner or later.