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From: trc@houca.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: E9 - private spacing vs govt
Message-ID: <400@houca.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Oct-83 08:45:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: houca.400
Posted: Fri Oct  7 08:45:03 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Oct-83 08:23:33 EDT
Organization: American Bell, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 33

Response to R.E. Maas -  Space station politics and $1E9

I dont agree that the government had to run the space effort just
becaues it was too big for the private sector.  If the space effort
had really been worth it, a corporation could have been formed to
exploit space, and at far less than $1E9.  In fact, there have been
quite a few private ventures - starting with Goddard, I suppose.
My point is, if something is really worth doing, either for profit
or for scientific reasons, it can usually get volutary support in
the private sector.  The only advantage the government has over the
private sector is that it can force people to give it money to do things
they dont really care to have done.  If you dont believe that people
really wanted space sufficiently enough to support it in the private
sector, you are really saying that you want the government to force
your opinion that it *is* important on all those other people.  The
fact that you might be right doesnt justify using force - in fact, the 
fact that you are right would make it even worse, since you should be
able to convince people to do what you want voluntarily.

In fact, the L5-society alone could probably put together an impressive
corporation from its members.  And I presume that there is an equal number
of others like me out there that are interested, but not members of "L5".
I've often wished there were some sort of corporation that would seek
to establish a space project (lunar base, L5-colony, etc) that I could
invest in.  It would be a terrific risk, but at least something would
be getting done.  If nothing else, it could sponsor research into space 
technology, with an eye towards grabbing up some basic patents, that it
could later sell to the better capitalized corporations when they move out
into space in a big way.  It would take 100-10000 investors with $1000 each.

	I've got my $1000 ready...
	Tom Craver
	houca!trc