04-03-2004, 03:01 PM
Not at all. Gaming doesn't require much of a forward push, whereas space tech has very specific needs that have to be met. That translates to many multi-million dollar development contracts which get bid on. Gamers only need a slight improvement every six months to be happy. IE. Who here spends more than a million dollars a year on a computer with architecture and parts that don't exist yet?
The reason thinking in the here and now doesn't work is because the methods of achieving goals are chosen by the lowest bidder (best choice when there's no future to consider), and they have cutting corners down to an art. Since it costs a lot of money to campaign for, and sustain a political career, grass-roots just doesn't cut the mustard. You have to have money, and the easiest way to do that and have time for politics is to be born into it: family business already established, reputable name appended to yours, brought up with a corporate mentality. That's where the problem lies, not in party affiliations or theological standings. That 'so-what-if-60,000-people-have-to-eat-their-own-excrement-to-live-so-long-as-I-make-an-extra-buck' attitude that makes changing the public's opinion a better option than doing what they want, or military action a simple quick-fix over respecting another nation's sovereingty.
Space exploration is something that takes time to pay off. Even if it will yeild things like viable alternative fuel sources, it's not going to get attention over things like finding more crude oil (dealing with OPEC is a pain) for immediate consumption. If the ultimate plan is to screw everybody's kids over, you go with the oil, since it's plentiful now and provides everyone with comfortable living. To be nice to those kids, you'd find some way to make the current living standard sustainable, or at least find enough basics out to give them a better crack at it. Unfortunately, you can't take a brighter tomorrow to the bank, so basking in today's crapulence is going to continue until the party runs out of booze and the liquor stores are closed. "We will overcome this, we always have" sounds a lot better when it's not an epitaph.
::PostScript::
Yes, this is about job growth being 0.1% higher than last year, but without saying something about how modern politicians think, it's just going to be political mad libs.
_____________ was in office during a ___ percent _________ over __________.
...<president>.......................................<#>.............<rise/drop>........<time period>
__________ are obviously the __________ party. Take that ____________!
<political affiliation>..................<adjective>.........<derrogatory nickname for the other side>
The reason thinking in the here and now doesn't work is because the methods of achieving goals are chosen by the lowest bidder (best choice when there's no future to consider), and they have cutting corners down to an art. Since it costs a lot of money to campaign for, and sustain a political career, grass-roots just doesn't cut the mustard. You have to have money, and the easiest way to do that and have time for politics is to be born into it: family business already established, reputable name appended to yours, brought up with a corporate mentality. That's where the problem lies, not in party affiliations or theological standings. That 'so-what-if-60,000-people-have-to-eat-their-own-excrement-to-live-so-long-as-I-make-an-extra-buck' attitude that makes changing the public's opinion a better option than doing what they want, or military action a simple quick-fix over respecting another nation's sovereingty.
Space exploration is something that takes time to pay off. Even if it will yeild things like viable alternative fuel sources, it's not going to get attention over things like finding more crude oil (dealing with OPEC is a pain) for immediate consumption. If the ultimate plan is to screw everybody's kids over, you go with the oil, since it's plentiful now and provides everyone with comfortable living. To be nice to those kids, you'd find some way to make the current living standard sustainable, or at least find enough basics out to give them a better crack at it. Unfortunately, you can't take a brighter tomorrow to the bank, so basking in today's crapulence is going to continue until the party runs out of booze and the liquor stores are closed. "We will overcome this, we always have" sounds a lot better when it's not an epitaph.
::PostScript::
Yes, this is about job growth being 0.1% higher than last year, but without saying something about how modern politicians think, it's just going to be political mad libs.
_____________ was in office during a ___ percent _________ over __________.
...<president>.......................................<#>.............<rise/drop>........<time period>
__________ are obviously the __________ party. Take that ____________!
<political affiliation>..................<adjective>.........<derrogatory nickname for the other side>