Friends, my latest article, published in Townhall, is a follow-up to an article I wrote in May about Elon Musk's fanciful "Starlink" project, which aims to bring satellite-based broadband internet access to the whole planet, at vast and unnecessary expense. This is the prelude, we're led to believe, to the settlement of Mars with a million little Musk apostles. Needless to say, I think it's science fiction.
https://townhall.com/columnists/nicholaswaddy/2018/11/20/will-elon-musk-never-learn-n2536210
And while you're at it take a gander at this fine article, which focuses on the Left's domination of our culture -- a very effective counterpoint to the Republican Party's domination of our political institutions. Make no mistake: conservatives are at a grave disadvantage in the cultural arena, which is the arena, lest anyone forget, where the future is made.
https://amgreatness.com/2018/11/18/the-progressive-synopticon/
Dr.Waddy: Re Musk: I'm grossly ignorant when it comes to modern communication and computers so I cannot comment competently on those aspects. That said, in his space ventures Musk may bear comparison with Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the 19th century marine engineer and entrepreneur who built the Great Eastern, the enormous starcrossed steamship which, despite its many, sometimes fatal failures, did lay the Atlantic cable. A doctoral candidate in history would do well to consider the effect that may have had on world history. Imagine if George III had had instant communication with his commanders during the American revolution. Great Eastern also taught ship builders many useful lessons.
ReplyDeleteMusk is to be plausibly questioned for reasons you have expressed well and to which I would, in addition suggest: Why colonize Mars other than to use it as a way station for further advances into space (that overall effort I think to be very well worth it). Colonization would be incredibly expensive and arduous and if its goal is to create a new home for humanity then why not transform Antarctica? (Of course the "global warming" devotees think that is at hand anyway, but to their minds, all to our great disadvantage). Why is our advent into space travel so important? We must examine the reasons and select our manned missions and their followup carefully. Why would earth orbit or our fortuitously placed moon not be better staging areas for the manned exploration of deep space which may be our destiny?
Great points, Jack. The undersea telegraph cable was a hugely important innovation. Information is the lifeblood of the modern age (or any age), in my view, which is why I see the media as arguably more powerful than Congress or the President.
ReplyDeleteWhy Mars indeed? NASA has clearly had some trouble deciding on what our next big space objective should be. Space station? A moon settlement? The asteroid belt? Mars? We have, in point of fact, made great exploratory progress with unmanned missions, but I think ultimately the only thing that will make extraterrestrial settlement practical is its commercialization. That is, where can we find resources worth exploiting, and worth carting millions of miles back to earth? The moon and the asteroid belt seem like better bets, in this regard.
Dr. Waddy: Perhaps we need a latter day Frederick Jackson Turner (?) to explain to us the (I think immense) importance of space exploration to our civilization. I think Jackson's work was retrospective but after almost 60 years our manned space effort has some retro to it too.
ReplyDeleteVery true. The American people seem to have lost the zest for space... It's one of many opportunity areas for Trump. Supposedly the first Orion capsule will be blasted into orbit in 2020. Sounds like a photo-op to me!
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy: The utter fascination we experienced at the first manned flights probably cannot be duplicated. It was amazing.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy: I read the American Greatness article. I know you know I've long seen the American left as a fundamental, existential threat to all the real America values. The article offers a well supported, plausible proposition that its triumph may already be inevitable.
ReplyDeleteI've suggested that the swamp of ignorance, ingratitude, bigotry and incipient totalitarianism fostered by the left since the '60's is a bizarre interlude which will fade away when the lala faction of the boomers exits with the rest of the generation. The article casts much credible doubt on that but I found in it one cause for optimism; the author referred to bitterness over their poverty (sic) felt by heavily indebted college grads who cannot get jobs they think commensurate with their educations translating into "progressive" solidarity. If this is analogous to the disillusion I've heard some young adults express, brought on by paying taxes, it could be a good thing. The term progress didn't always bear the pejorative stain the left has lent it.
I think the Obamas, relatively young as they are, believe they may well return to ultimate power in a "transformed" America. Even the Clintons may harbor this dream, though Father Time and the old age shipwreck looms for them.
Yes, Jack, I think the Obamas, Clintons, and most liberals assume that time is on their side -- or rather their movement's side, and they may well be right. I would agree with you, though, that the political loyalties of young people are hard to predict. Youngsters in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe were inundated with leftist propaganda too, and we both know how that turned out. The sad thing, though, is that I don't think the right is competing very hard for the "hearts and minds" of kids, young adults, minorities, and women. If we understood the stakes, we'd be trying to gain control of some of the cultural institutions (and voices) that influence these groups. Instead we make only token efforts. We concentrate instead on getting out our "base". That might win many battles, but not the war.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy: You are right!
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy: On second thought, though those unlucky enough to have grown up in commie gehenna were thoroughly plied with Marxist hooey, they also had to live with its consequences. Limousine (or even Chevy) leftists have yet to have that empirical ton of bricks fall on them.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, Jack. The Israelis give free trips to Israel to American Jews for sound political reasons. Maybe we should give free trips to Venezuela to doe-eyed liberals?
ReplyDeleteI leave it to you to decide whether the trips should be one-way or return. Ha!
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy: I wish Michael Dukakis had been required to spend a week in a cell with Willie Horton. He would have been disabused of compassion for that monster and perhaps might even have rethought his insane program of "furloughs" for such as Horton. Horton of course indulged in completely predictable savagery on his vacation courtesy of the misled Commonwealth of MA and Dukakis refused to meet with his consequent and very much injured victims. His subsequent political and historical exile provides some justice I suppose. Most American "touchy-feelies" would crawl back mewing for protection were they to experience One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Welcome to the real world.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Jack. I wonder how many Willie Hortons are going unreported these days, because to tell their stories would be to offend the gods of political correctness?
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy: Well, we may find out in NY. Chairman Cuomo has restored voting rights to many parolees ( who, after all, have not yet served their sentences; they are doing their time outside the fence courtesy of the often wrongheaded "compassion" of those who lament the punishment but purposefully ignore the crime and its victims). His touching regard for reformed cop killers is shamelessly manifest, though he has not yet found a way to restore life to the murdered officers. He may well think that within his power, though, so stand by! I fully expect him, in his now virtual dictatorship, to try to enact "hate speech" legislation which will have inmates beating a path to the law library to sue for relief from any form of compelled responsibility for their actions. He's going to try to build a model of an exemplary leftist state to present in 2020 when he fully expects the real America to flock to his banner. Forgiveness for law breaking consequent victimizers (including illegal aliens) will be featured.Sancta simplicitas!
ReplyDeleteOne wonders whether a crime wave can be very far behind -- but will it simply be conjured out of existence to suit the Left's agenda?
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy: Those factors which may have caused previous crime waves in entities ,like NYC, dominated by bleeding hearts may no longer obtain ( for example, thugs from the boomer generation are now unable to bounce, scuttle, climb and scramble as they could before). Compelling stats may be lacking. Nevertheless, those victimized by Cuomo's darlings will feel just as wronged ( if they are still capable of sensation that is). You are right in proposing that the MSM will make light of their travails.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. It appears the MSM's capacity to ignore the real news is virtually infinite. This is, as you know, what I believe to be the country's number one problem.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy: I have not paid sufficient attention to your conviction in that regard. It makes a great deal of sense; it may well be the premier factor in the left's existential assault on our America.
ReplyDelete