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General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: jimmy olsen on December 14, 2011, 12:05:20 AM

Title: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: jimmy olsen on December 14, 2011, 12:05:20 AM
Gingrich has wooed me away from Romney!  :sleep:

:wub:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2011/12/13/apocalypse_newt.html
QuoteMoon Bases And Beyond: Newt Gingrich's Top 5 Sci-Fi Policy Proposals

By Alex Seitz-Wald on Dec 12, 2011 at 7:45 pm

It's not often that moon bases play a key role in presidential politics, but when Mitt Romney sought to draw a contrast with front-runner Newt Gingrich during Saturday's ABC debate, he explained: "We could start with his idea to have a lunar colony that would mine minerals from the moon." The comment drew laughter from the audience, but Gingrich is serious. "I'm proud" of the idea, Gingrich said. "I grew up in a generation where the space program was real, where it was important."

Indeed, Gingrich has had a long fascination with ideas that most Americans would probably consider science fiction. Gingrich's top five science fiction ideas, beyond moon bases:

    1. EMP attack: As the New York Times notes today, Gingrich has a unusual phobia for outlandish doomsday scenarios like an electromagnetic pulse attack, even though most nuclear experts dismiss the threat. He even wrote the foreword to a 2009 sci-fi thriller based on an EMP attack.

    2. Space mirrors: Gingrich has proposed a "a mirror system in space [that] could provide the light equivalent of many full moons so that there would be no need for nighttime lighting of the highways."

    3. Space lasers: Gingrich has flirted with several variations of orbiting death rays. For example, in 2002 he called for "directed energy weapons and laser pulsing systems that could actually [shoot down missiles] from space." "If you go to a space-based system, we can almost certainly build a workable system," he said in 2009.

    4. Geo-engineering: Gingrich has suggested that instead of actually stopping global warming from happening (this was when he believed in global warming), we should use geoengineering to ameliorate its impact. "Geo-engineering holds forth the promise of addressing global warming concerns for just a few billion dollars a year," Gingrich said in 2008. Geo-engineering is the process of artificially altering the climate in fundamental ways and is considered so dangerous that it faced a ban from the U.N.

    5. A better life through video games: Gingrich made a political speech to Second Life in 2007 in which he said that the "3-D Internet in all of its various forms" will help create a better "parallel country." "It's a parallel that enables us to do things that would be much more difficult to do in the real world.. [It's a] world that works." Second Life has basically failed.

Gingrich's "futuristic proselytizing" even earned him the nickname "Newt Skywalker" among the local press in his home state of Georgia in the 1980s and '90s, Politico notes today.

But Gingrich's fascination with science fiction goes far deeper than gadgets and to his core motivations as a politician. Ray Smock was the historian of the U. S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995 until Gingrich fired him as one of Gingrich's first acts as Speaker. As Smock wrote last week for the History News Network, Gingrich's "hero and role model" was the protagonist of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, who invents a new field of history — Gingrich is himself a historian — and fundamentally changes the course of history for thousands of planets in the process. A tagline of the series is, "In a future century the Galactic Empire dies and one man creates a new force for civilized life." As Smock writes, "Newt liked the idea of one man shaping the destiny of entire civilizations."

Indeed, Gingrich has spoken often about his galatic inspiration. For example, as he wrote in his 1996 memoir, To Renew America:

    Isaac Asimov was shaping my view of the future in equally profound ways. ...For a high school student who loved history, Asimov's most exhilarating invention was the 'psychohistorian' Hari Seldon. The term does not refer to Freudian analysis but to a kind of probabilistic forecasting of the future of whole civilizations. The premise was that, while you cannot predict individual behavior, you can develop a pretty accurate sense of mass behavior.

Gingrich's sense of grandiosity is by now famous, but his reverence for Seldon underscores the planet-sized ambitions Gingrich held, as helps elucidate his fascination with grand, futuristic projects. In a doodle of Gingrich's recently published in Slate, the then-Speaker wrote that his two primary missions were to be an "Advocate of civilization" and "definer of civilization." Another doodle "shows Gingrich (the "system designer") at the hub of concentric circles featuring his staff, key supporters, the media, constituents, and the public."
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: fhdz on December 14, 2011, 12:06:15 AM
Sigh.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: DontSayBanana on December 14, 2011, 12:17:51 AM
Hari Seldon.  Of all the iconic sci-fi characterizations he could choose to attempt to usurp, he picks Seldon.  What next, Muad'dib?
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Razgovory on December 14, 2011, 12:31:33 AM
So the guy who writes Alt-history wins Tim's support?  Big Fucking Surprise.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Martinus on December 14, 2011, 02:33:30 AM
Great to see Tim throw his support for an out of touch racist.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Razgovory on December 14, 2011, 02:40:29 AM
Why do you say racist?
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: CountDeMoney on December 14, 2011, 06:24:30 AM
If Gingrich would promise to launch fags into space, he'd have my vote.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Caliga on December 14, 2011, 06:28:46 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on December 14, 2011, 02:40:29 AM
Why do you say racist?
He's a Republican. :(
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Viking on December 14, 2011, 06:55:12 AM
I read this as

"Time's All Important GOP Endorsement!"
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Neil on December 14, 2011, 08:28:52 AM
Nuke Warsaw from orbit.  It's the only way to be sure.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Faeelin on December 14, 2011, 08:45:36 AM
It must  bother you a lot Tim, that space flight is so useless and uneconomical.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Eddie Teach on December 14, 2011, 09:28:14 AM
Quote from: Faeelin on December 14, 2011, 08:45:36 AM
It must  bother you a lot Tim, that space flight is so useless and uneconomical.

It will still happen, regardless.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Valmy on December 14, 2011, 09:31:20 AM
Quote from: Caliga on December 14, 2011, 06:28:46 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on December 14, 2011, 02:40:29 AM
Why do you say racist?
He's a Republican. :(

Doesn't explain the out-of-touch part.  Or does it? :hmm:
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Ed Anger on December 14, 2011, 10:22:24 AM
My dream? All of Timmay's wet dream projects get proxmired.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: MadImmortalMan on December 14, 2011, 03:41:34 PM
Tim, can you do me a favor and endorse LSU in the title game? Thx
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: mongers on December 14, 2011, 03:52:06 PM
I believe Obama's exit strategy from Afghanistan is based on Tim making a credible endorsement of the Taliban at a critical point in the withdrawal timetable. 
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Eddie Teach on December 14, 2011, 05:41:16 PM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on December 14, 2011, 03:41:34 PM
Tim, can you do me a favor and endorse LSU in the title game? Thx

Do you have money on the Tide?

They should have taken OK St so people would care who won.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: jimmy olsen on December 14, 2011, 07:07:13 PM
Quote from: Faeelin on December 14, 2011, 08:45:36 AM
It must  bother you a lot Tim, that space flight is so useless and uneconomical.
Neither of those things is true so I'm not bothered at all. :)
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Faeelin on December 15, 2011, 10:35:55 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on December 14, 2011, 07:07:13 PM
Quote from: Faeelin on December 14, 2011, 08:45:36 AM
It must  bother you a lot Tim, that space flight is so useless and uneconomical.
Neither of those things is true so I'm not bothered at all. :)

Is it? For 40 years now we'eve been puttering around in low earth orbit, with no plans to send astronauts to Mars.

Looks like the stars are not for man.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Razgovory on December 15, 2011, 10:41:04 PM
There's just not a lot of money to be made in space.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: jimmy olsen on December 15, 2011, 10:48:28 PM
Quote from: Faeelin on December 15, 2011, 10:35:55 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on December 14, 2011, 07:07:13 PM
Quote from: Faeelin on December 14, 2011, 08:45:36 AM
It must  bother you a lot Tim, that space flight is so useless and uneconomical.
Neither of those things is true so I'm not bothered at all. :)

Is it? For 40 years now we'eve been puttering around in low earth orbit, with no plans to send astronauts to Mars.

Looks like the stars are not for man.
That's do strictly to foolish decisions made by the federal government.

There's been massive private investment in Space in the last ten years and their efforts to bring down launch costs are coming to fruition.

Raz, there's more wealth in the belt than man can possibly comprehend.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Neil on December 15, 2011, 11:09:40 PM
Even if you get launch costs down, there's still travel costs, not to mention the lawsuits when people die in space.  And they will die, make no mistake.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Eddie Teach on December 15, 2011, 11:16:39 PM
If we can go somewhere, we will. It's human nature. I fully expect there to be a colony on Mars within 500 years.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Habbaku on December 15, 2011, 11:24:56 PM
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on December 15, 2011, 11:16:39 PM
If we can go somewhere, we will. It's human nature. I fully expect there to be a colony on Mars within 500 years.

I think this is true to a good extent.  If nothing, there will be social malcontents that want to go, along with the people that want to explore something to explore something.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Neil on December 16, 2011, 12:01:31 AM
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on December 15, 2011, 11:16:39 PM
If we can go somewhere, we will. It's human nature. I fully expect there to be a colony on Mars within 500 years.
Nah.  The technology exists to go to Mars right now.  People would rather be comfortable.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Faeelin on December 16, 2011, 12:11:47 AM
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on December 15, 2011, 11:16:39 PM
If we can go somewhere, we will. It's human nature. I fully expect there to be a colony on Mars within 500 years.

Why would people do this? Nobody's rushing to colonize Antarctica or the Gobi Desert.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Faeelin on December 16, 2011, 12:12:47 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on December 15, 2011, 10:48:28 PM
There's been massive private investment in Space in the last ten years and their efforts to bring down launch costs are coming to fruition.

Raz, there's more wealth in the belt than man can possibly comprehend.

Coming to fruition how? Where's the major infrastructure in space?

Sure, cheaper unmanned satellites. Beyond that?
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Eddie Teach on December 16, 2011, 12:18:14 AM
Quote from: Neil on December 16, 2011, 12:01:31 AM
Nah.  The technology exists to go to Mars right now.  People would rather be comfortable.

The technology is too expensive now. Presumably there's a lot more advances to be made and eventually it could be some billionaire's vanity project.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Ideologue on December 16, 2011, 05:30:10 AM
Quote from: Neil on December 15, 2011, 11:09:40 PM
Even if you get launch costs down, there's still travel costs, not to mention the lawsuits when people die in space.  And they will die, make no mistake.

Somehow I think that the mere act of going into the most adverse environment imaginable on top of a stack of explosions qualifies as "assumption of risk."
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Razgovory on December 16, 2011, 06:06:59 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on December 15, 2011, 10:48:28 PM
That's do strictly to foolish decisions made by the federal government.

There's been massive private investment in Space in the last ten years and their efforts to bring down launch costs are coming to fruition.

Raz, there's more wealth in the belt than man can possibly comprehend.

On asteroids?  C'mon, we've been over this.  We have carbon and iron right here on earth.  And it's a hell of lot easier to get.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: The Brain on December 16, 2011, 06:53:39 AM
What's the carat price of diamonds? And don't they think that the core of Neptune is diamond? If we can mine that core we'll have enough money to colonize the galaxy.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Faeelin on December 16, 2011, 08:25:04 AM
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on December 16, 2011, 12:18:14 AM

The technology is too expensive now. Presumably there's a lot more advances to be made and eventually it could be some billionaire's vanity project.

Again, what major changes have we seen in space flight over the last 50 years which makes you think there are a lot more advances to be made?

Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: garbon on December 16, 2011, 08:40:36 AM
Quote from: Faeelin on December 16, 2011, 08:25:04 AM
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on December 16, 2011, 12:18:14 AM

The technology is too expensive now. Presumably there's a lot more advances to be made and eventually it could be some billionaire's vanity project.

Again, what major changes have we seen in space flight over the last 50 years which makes you think there are a lot more advances to be made?

To be fair - just because there is slow development in an area for a while doesn't mean that there aren't advances to be made.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Faeelin on December 16, 2011, 08:46:02 AM
Quote from: garbon on December 16, 2011, 08:40:36 AM
To be fair - just because there is slow development in an area for a while doesn't mean that there aren't advances to be made.

No, that's true, but I just can't think of anything that would be worthwhile and so far all Tim and Peter have said is they hope/believe that at some point some radical change will occur to make ::mumble:: economically justifiable.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: garbon on December 16, 2011, 08:55:05 AM
Quote from: Faeelin on December 16, 2011, 08:46:02 AM
Quote from: garbon on December 16, 2011, 08:40:36 AM
To be fair - just because there is slow development in an area for a while doesn't mean that there aren't advances to be made.

No, that's true, but I just can't think of anything that would be worthwhile and so far all Tim and Peter have said is they hope/believe that at some point some radical change will occur to make ::mumble:: economically justifiable.


Oh agreed, that's why I said to be fair. :hug:
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Eddie Teach on December 16, 2011, 10:58:42 AM
Quote from: Faeelin on December 16, 2011, 08:25:04 AM
Again, what major changes have we seen in space flight over the last 50 years which makes you think there are a lot more advances to be made?

Better computers. Advances in solar energy(so maybe the ship can refuel itself en route one day). Better understanding of the underlying chemistry and physics. I don't think we've reached our technological summit by a long shot.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Ideologue on December 16, 2011, 12:00:57 PM
Quote from: Faeelin on December 16, 2011, 08:46:02 AM
Quote from: garbon on December 16, 2011, 08:40:36 AM
To be fair - just because there is slow development in an area for a while doesn't mean that there aren't advances to be made.

No, that's true, but I just can't think of anything that would be worthwhile and so far all Tim and Peter have said is they hope/believe that at some point some radical change will occur to make ::mumble:: economically justifiable.

Solar power satellites.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: garbon on December 16, 2011, 12:03:28 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on December 16, 2011, 12:00:57 PM
Solar power satellites.

What does that have to do with colonizing Mars? :unsure:
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: katmai on December 16, 2011, 02:30:21 PM
I gladly support shooting Tim off into orbit, never to be heard from again.
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Ideologue on December 16, 2011, 02:49:45 PM
Quote from: garbon on December 16, 2011, 12:03:28 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on December 16, 2011, 12:00:57 PM
Solar power satellites.

What does that have to do with colonizing Mars? :unsure:

Nothing.  But you didn't say Mars, you said space, didn't you? :unsure:
Title: Re: Tim's All Important GOP Endorsement!
Post by: Grinning_Colossus on December 16, 2011, 03:18:48 PM
The Great Filter is democratic government and good accounting.

That's big-D Democratic for you, Tim.  :P