From: James Wetterau (jwjr@panix.com)
Date: Fri Nov 17 2000 - 07:28:00 MST
"Spudboy100@aol.com" apparently wrote, about Carl Sagan:
...
> He was brilliant as a inspirer and sharer of scientific knowledege. He was
> also big time into the Ganja and this at age 55-60! ...
So what? I hope that members of this list are smart enough not to buy
the ridiculous lies of entities like the U.S. drug warriors and others
for whom mere marijuana consumption is some kind of moral taint.
Especially given that many on this list openly enjoy the far more
dangerous drug alcohol for conviviality.
> ... He was a big time
> schmuckeroo when it came time to face down the Soviets, when they wished to
> Glom West Asia and Western Europe--and glom it they would have, had not the
> West and Old Man Reagan showed them a fist, and the will to use it. Carl
> Sagan was chicken ala Carl on the money for SDI, and basically viewed the
> world so pessimistically, that surrender was better then
> annihilation ...
So you're basically saying he wasn't macho enough for you? Please
spare me.
I for one am no enthusiast of an imperial US power and support the
libertarian position of ending the income tax. It's kind of hard to
do that while trying to establish imperial peace around the globe. I
think a US that looks after the bare minimum of its self defense is
ultimately in the world's best interest, and immediately in its own
national interest, and I have no enthusiasm for my government's
playing world's policeman. While this may not be official list
politics anymore, there are many similarly minded people here, still,
I hope. I, too, would have counselled caution and parsimony in
experimental military expenditures, and allow me to ask this: what did
the SDI money buy us? When did the benchmark for sensible policy on
science and technology become "how tough are you?" as opposed to
showing results? I'd rather be right than tough every time.
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