Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!lsuc!pesnta!pyramid!decwrl!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!mcvax!ukc!stc!pete
From: pete@stc.co.uk
Newsgroups: net.space,net.columbia,net.sf-lovers,net.followup
Subject: Re: Space Shuttle Children's Fund
Message-ID: <805@bute.tcom.stc.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 10-Feb-86 11:25:50 EST
Article-I.D.: bute.805
Posted: Mon Feb 10 11:25:50 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Feb-86 04:59:42 EST
References: <221@hadron.UUCP> <325@lifia.UUCP> <505@eneevax.UUCP> <469@ecn-pc.UUCP>
Reply-To: pete@stc.UUCP (Peter Kendell)
Organization: STC Telecoms, London N11 1HB.
Lines: 46
Xref: lsuc net.space:1531 net.columbia:692 net.sf-lovers:5975 net.followup:1476

Summary:
Expires:
Sender:
Followup-To:
Distribution:
Keywords:
Xref: ukc net.space:1995 net.columbia:844 net.sf-lovers:7042 net.followup:2079
Xpath: ukc eagle

In article <469@ecn-pc.UUCP> wdm@ecn-pc.UUCP (Tex) writes:
>    Don't blame him, it is probably difficult to live in a country that
>    sits on the sidelines and watches while we explore space.  After all,
>    they think it is pretty neat that they have a booster that can but
>    a satellite into orbit.

        Oh dear.

        1: A comparison of the relative sizes of France and the USA
           makes it pretty obvious that Ariane is a considerable
           achievement.

        2: Why should the USA and the USSR have it all their own way
           in space?

        3: Look to your laurels; the Japanese are right at your heels
           Right Now on space technology - 2 of the Halley's Comet
           probes are from Japan. (and Giotto, the best bet, is
           European!)


        It seems to me that this discussion belongs in
        net.politics, 'cos what we're talking about is the difference
        in political philosophy between a laissez-faire system and a
        paternalist system; and whether one leads to the abandonment
        of the weak to their own devices (the 'Sod you, I'm all
        right' system) and the other to the stifling of initiative (the
        'Don't worry son, the State will look after you, just be good'
        system).

        Please can the discussion be carried on elsewhere?

        7 brave humans died on the Challenger; we all respect their
        courage, but some of us are wondering why you have to die live
        on TV to raise the conscience of a nation.

        BTW, I read Robert Forward's 'Dragon's Egg' over the weekend
        and got a shock in the first few pages - is he on the net and
        what do they know at Hughes and JPL that we don't?
-- 
	Peter Kendell <pete@stc.UUCP>

	...!mcvax!ukc!stc!pete

	`When your achievements match your expectations,
	 it's time to move on.'