There’s a scene in my 1991 book “Fellow Traveler,” where two space advocates get into a fistfight while testifying before congress. Nothing ever changes.
That seems unlikely to happen today what with only Zubrin of the former steel cage death match duo of Spudis and Zubrin still alive. Of course if Gary Church somehow wound up being one of the witnesses it would definitely be an occasion of “excitement guaranteed” as Elon likes to say.
At best the UN is a failed idea: At worst it’s a steaming pit of corruption and disease. Their raison d’etre is “Peace”, which they interpret as stasis….it’s a shame that some people are being oppressed by another, but as long as that’s the way it’s been, that’s the way they’ll fight for “Peace”.
The United States is one of 193 member nations of the United Nations. Therefore, the United States should pay no more than 1/193rd of the total budget of the United Nations. Retroactive to the founding of the UN, and after deducting fair market rent and taxes for the Turtle Bay Complex.
If the United Nations organizations cannot live within that budget, perhaps they should understand they have a spending problem, not an income problem. Their profligacy should not be the problem of the United States Taxpayer.
I’m sure that’s the lived experience of lefty space advocates. But, then, the “public at large” in which they move is just more lefties, all of whom, these days, oppose Western civilization – including space travel and off-Earth habitation – in general and exhibit Pavlovian responses of baring their teeth and growling at the mention of the words “colonization” or “settlement.” And they all, of course, take the U.N. with utmost seriousness as it is merely one of many captured institutions via which they work their mischief on the actual public at large.
The 1967 outer space treaty basically says no country can claim sovereignty over any part of the heavens and the moon treaty thankfully was not approved by the United States (or Russia/China for that matter) so as far as I am concerned the United Nations can stay out of it.
Whatever authority they have can stay earth bound and good riddance.
The asteroids have no Israelis to condemn, nor terrorists to abet, nor dictators to appease, nor Americans to sponge off of, nor any 9-year-old Congolese girls to rape. Frankly, I don’t see how this aligns with any of the UN’s core competencies.
“I don’t see how this aligns with any of the UN’s core competencies.”
The moon treaty (fortunately not ratified by the United States etc) was an attempt by the United Nations to expand the scope of their power and authority by gaining sovereignty (de facto) over the riches of the Solar System. Eventually to be distributed as said institution (i.e. the UN) saw fit. Becoming in effect the government off planet and by extension eventually the government on planet.
It seems the natural place to put the UN, is on the Moon.
They would be famous.
In terms of mining space rocks, I think probably the moons of Mars. Or something like Ceres.
They don’t get it. I’ll go mine asteroids to get away from the UN
I’ll go mine asteroids to get away from the UN
This is why space advocates struggle to get taken seriously by the public at large.
There’s a scene in my 1991 book “Fellow Traveler,” where two space advocates get into a fistfight while testifying before congress. Nothing ever changes.
That seems unlikely to happen today what with only Zubrin of the former steel cage death match duo of Spudis and Zubrin still alive. Of course if Gary Church somehow wound up being one of the witnesses it would definitely be an occasion of “excitement guaranteed” as Elon likes to say.
At best the UN is a failed idea: At worst it’s a steaming pit of corruption and disease. Their raison d’etre is “Peace”, which they interpret as stasis….it’s a shame that some people are being oppressed by another, but as long as that’s the way it’s been, that’s the way they’ll fight for “Peace”.
The United States is one of 193 member nations of the United Nations. Therefore, the United States should pay no more than 1/193rd of the total budget of the United Nations. Retroactive to the founding of the UN, and after deducting fair market rent and taxes for the Turtle Bay Complex.
If the United Nations organizations cannot live within that budget, perhaps they should understand they have a spending problem, not an income problem. Their profligacy should not be the problem of the United States Taxpayer.
I’m sure that’s the lived experience of lefty space advocates. But, then, the “public at large” in which they move is just more lefties, all of whom, these days, oppose Western civilization – including space travel and off-Earth habitation – in general and exhibit Pavlovian responses of baring their teeth and growling at the mention of the words “colonization” or “settlement.” And they all, of course, take the U.N. with utmost seriousness as it is merely one of many captured institutions via which they work their mischief on the actual public at large.
The 1967 outer space treaty basically says no country can claim sovereignty over any part of the heavens and the moon treaty thankfully was not approved by the United States (or Russia/China for that matter) so as far as I am concerned the United Nations can stay out of it.
Whatever authority they have can stay earth bound and good riddance.
The asteroids have no Israelis to condemn, nor terrorists to abet, nor dictators to appease, nor Americans to sponge off of, nor any 9-year-old Congolese girls to rape. Frankly, I don’t see how this aligns with any of the UN’s core competencies.
“I don’t see how this aligns with any of the UN’s core competencies.”
The moon treaty (fortunately not ratified by the United States etc) was an attempt by the United Nations to expand the scope of their power and authority by gaining sovereignty (de facto) over the riches of the Solar System. Eventually to be distributed as said institution (i.e. the UN) saw fit. Becoming in effect the government off planet and by extension eventually the government on planet.
It seems the natural place to put the UN, is on the Moon.
They would be famous.
In terms of mining space rocks, I think probably the moons of Mars. Or something like Ceres.