Jon.Webb@CMU-CS-IUS2.ARPA (10/30/84)
I just heard on National Public Radio that Carl Sagan has begun a 12-city tour to support Walter Mondale for President. He's doing this to stop Reagan's "Star Wars" plan. I think this should give pause to anyone considering voting against Mondale because of his generally negative attitude on space development. Sagan is clearly supportive of space development, and the fact that he's willing to support Mondale shows he thinks stopping the dangerous "Star Wars" plan is more important than NASA getting a few more bucks to develop space weapons.
mcgeer%ucbkim%Berkeley@sri-unix.UUCP (10/30/84)
From: Rick McGeer (on an aaa-60-s) <mcgeer%ucbkim@Berkeley> (1) Let us be precise. NASA isn't getting money from the Space Defense Initiative; if I'm not mistaken, that's all going to the USAF's Space Command. (2) NASA is getting money for two things: one is to develop the Shuttle, which was unarmed the last time I looked. The second is to develop the space station, which is supposed to be a civilian enterprise. Neither of these can be construed as space weapons. (3) Mondale has promised to cancel the space station and scrap the fifth orbiter; I can't believe that he'd support a moonbase, which James Beggs said earlier this week could be a joint endeavour with the Soviets. Again, neither of these projects can be construed as space weapons. Mondale can't cut space weapons from the NASA budget because there aren't any there to cut; he can -- and will, if elected -- cut civilian projects. Sagan has concluded that Mondale's position on nuclear weapons and defense systems is more important than keeping NASA alive, a reasonable enough position. There are those of us, though, who don't agree, and this too is a reasonable position. Rick.
ix241@sdcc6.UUCP (ix241) (11/02/84)
> ...Sagan is clearly supportive of space development...
Sagan is supportive of space research. That is not the same as space
development. He does not support manned space programs as being too
expensive. He wants to use remotes and robots in space exclusively. His
Planetary Society has stated that as a matter of policy in the past. I
know that he does not see the Strategic Defense Inititive as viable.
That is one reason he supports Mondale. Mondale is not and has not been
very supportive of any space program.
John Testa
UCSD Chemistry
sdcsvax!sdcc6!ix241 arlan@inuxd.UUCP (A Andrews) (11/03/84)
If anyone's opinion on anything political is influenced by Carl Sagan's own opinion, I would consider it a case of misplaced hero worship. About on the same level as considering Jane Fonda's opinion on things scientific. On the other hand, maybe Dr. Sagan is just still suffering from his last illness--he looked as poorly as he sounded last night on Late Night America. It's a joke to think that Mondale will carry anyplace except the center of government largesse--W, DC (and maybe P.R.)--and it does not do the space program any good for an advocate like Sagan to choose the wrong side before the election. I've not noted Sagan's support of STAFFED space travel; he seems hung up on robots. As a human chauvinist, and as one will be vote for Bergland and the entire Libertarian ticket, I remain clear-headed and clear-conscienced-- --arlan andrews, ol' time space activist & Libertarian (& M & SF, & etc...) .
gordon@uw-june (Jamie Green) (11/03/84)
(Perhaps this should go in net.politics, but the base article was here, so...)
Carl Sagan is >not necessarily< supporting Mondale. The cover story of the
University of Washington Daily, the local campus paper, was an article about
Mr. Sagan and his fellows who are speaking out against the star wars plan, and
it was mentioned specifically that none of them stated support for Mondale.
Of course, this doesn't mean he doesn't support Mondale. Maybe he thinks that
NASA can survive Mondale, but the U.S. can't survive Reagan...
Of course, this makes no difference to me. I'm still not voting for
Mondale, and I'm not voting for Reagan. I'm voting for Bill the Cat! (Ack!)
The Great Green Arkleseizure {decvax,ihnp4}!uw-beaver!uw-june!gordon
Jamie Green gordon@uw-june.arpacs4911ay@unm-cvax.UUCP (11/04/84)
[It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a -- ] From Jon.Webb@CMU-CS-IUS2.ARPA Sat Feb 5 23:28:16 206 ... I just heard on National Public Radio that Carl Sagan has begun a 12-city tour to support Walter Mondale for President. He's doing this to stop Reagan's "Star Wars" plan. I think this should give pause to anyone considering voting against Mondale because of his generally negative attitude on space development. Sagan is clearly supportive of space development, and the fact that he's willing to support Mondale shows he thinks stopping the dangerous "Star Wars" plan is more important than NASA getting a few more bucks to develop space weapons. I'm a big fan of Carl's, but his expertise lies in planetary studies and exobiology, not in strategic defense (and/or offense). Mondale's views on space exploration have been posted in this newsgroup before, and are on the level of William Proxmire's. It's unfortunate that Sagan is putting politics (based on questionable reasoning) ahead of support for the space program, upon which he should be concentrating his efforts. By the way, NASA does not develop space weapons, DoD does (so do the Russians, and at a considerably greater rate than we). -- Mike Conley U.N.M., Albuquerque, NM "Think of it as evolution in action."
henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) (11/04/84)
> ... Sagan is clearly supportive of > space development... Sagan has a reputation for being actively opposed to almost any space development involving human beings. Robots, yes, but not man in space. If you really think that "remote control forever" is the right way to explore space, then he's the man for you... > ... NASA getting a few more bucks to develop space weapons. What in the world are you thinking of? Space weapons development is done by the USAF. NASA is a civilian agency. -- Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry