Not that we are ever going to see how M. Beauchemin
comes up with his figures, nor are we ever goinfg to see what the offsets
were in terms of lives saved and injuries forstalled.

------------------

Who, exactly is M. Beauchemin?

------------------

Well, Dr. Richard Feynman, Nobel Lauarate and former member of the
Manhatten Project, found differently in his investigation into the
Challanger disaster and laid the reponsiblity at the door of people who
put their personal beliefs ahead of the evidence available, groupthink in
point of fact.  A practice which contibuted mightily to the second
disaster shuttle disaster as well.  The favoured approach seems to be:
Close ones eyes to the evidence, pray for the best and blame the vicitims
if things turn out badly.  Pretty much describes the American
neo-conservative world-view.

-------------------

And, for that matter, the world-view of most of the neo-conservative 
opposition.

-------------------

The environmentalism movement has so many adherents for one simple reason,
the degree to which narrow private economic interest often externalizes
its costs onto the backs of its neighbours without their consent. 

-------------------

Can you discuss how individuals also externalize their cost on the backs
of its neighbors?

-------------------

Now, since the topic is Mars, how about the contribution made by manifest
political provincialism to the failure of NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter a
few years back.  Why is the United States of America the ONLY nation on
the globe not to formally adopt the ISO measurment standards? And what
standards do they have? Why those formally employed by the state from whom
they declared independence over two hundred years ago.  Ironic is it not?

-------------------

There is an unwritten law that says over time the people who seek to
perpetuate the existence of a bureaucracy will gain influence of those
who seek to further the goals the bureaucracy was set up to advance.

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *