Awatmath.1614
net.space
utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!watmath!jcwinterton
Fri Jan 29 14:23:00 1982
Re: Government Funding of Space
With the appearance of the era of the common man (Anti-trust, big-is-bad,
small-companies-are-good), we get the problem that no private organization
is big enough to finance space exploration and research. In the last big
exploratory push, things were financed by people who had every right to
expect profits from the ventures. Some of the funding organizations
were governments but not in the sense of governments today. The king of
Spain financed Columbus for profit (territory, resources) and the
Company of Gentleman Trading our of Hudson's Bay had exactly the same
motive. Because of our *advanced* technology, we are now able to explore
beyond the boundaries of our present space conveyance, and to venture
into the next ocean. We have even managed to explore, briefly, the next
island. Now, if a PRIVATE consortium of investors could be LEGALLY
brought together, I wonder if we wouldn't be a lot further than we are?
Present governments tend to be monolithic and conservative to the point
where they timidly take mousy-steps where giant-steps are needed. Mind you,
to take giant-step you have to take RISKS! Not only do you have to risk
money, you have to risk LIVES. We honor those pioneers who gave their
lives in settling our continent and romanticize about them greatly. Life
wasn't regarded as cheap in those days, no matter what you may read. Realism
simply demanded the risks be taken. The population pressure was the cause.
We are coming to the same pressure levels in the global village. If there
are too many of us here, we will have to go there. If some go there for
breathing room, others will follow to get thinking room too. History does
repeat, but with some skewing. The present skew seems to have to do with
bureaucratic inertial and general tail covering. Grrrrr.
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