Martian Idol

The good news, there seems to be a... well if not serious then at least serious-esque movement to establish real human colonies on Mars.  The bad news is that our first extra-terrestrial colonies will consist entirely of reality show winners.

At least that's the vision of Mars One, a effort made by a company out of the Netherlands.  The gist of it is to send four colonists every two years to live on the planet for the rest of their lives and turn the whole event into a inter-planetary Truman Show.  Think the Real World Mars: What happens when people stop getting their radiation protection from the magnetosphere... and start being real.  Real dead.  Because of radiation poisoning.  Because Derek doesn't want to do dishes.  Oh Derek, he's such a rebel, but you don't go walking outside without a space suit!

Leading up to the departure, it seems that the colonists, instead of being picked for scientific knowledge, flight training, survival skills or... anything useful.  No, they will be voted for on television.

That's right, we are going to pick our future astronauts in the exact same way we pick our failed pop stars.

I don't know how I feel about this.  The idea of colonizing another planet in my lifetime, it's one of those things that I feel absolutely must happen.  I missed the height of human space exploration and it would be nice to see something happen, really happen on that front.  To capture the future that we were suppose to have.  Maybe flying cars are a pipe dream but permanent colonies on Mars shouldn't.   But to have the whole thing be one giant reality show?  It's like someone giving me my own brewery but telling me that the bar is being turned into a giant dance club.

I suppose in my heart of hearts, I believe that it's a good thing.  The colonization of the solar system should be something we do, not as nation-states, but as a species.  In this environment, maybe this is what species-wide communication looks like.  But...

But I can't help but wonder what people will do when they get bored of it.  Sure there will probably be some controls as to who gets to go to Mars at first.  They will be people who have proven themselves capable and able to get along well with others for extended periods of time.  But what happens when people get bored and elect some off-the-wall wingnut who's favorite... and really only activity involves booze, a jackhammer and his environment; or some Paris Hilton look-alike with daddy issues.  What happens when we, as a species start sending people up to Mars just to make the television better.

Because this is a thing we would do.  Fuck scientific exploration, we wanna watch some privileged asshole have a princess tantrum one billion km away.  And it would happen.  And we would watch it, and watch it happily.

The Blowback

It's been about a week since the bombings at the Boston Marathon, and people more or less act just as anyone predicted.  Like their following a script or something.

Terrorism doesn't concern me.  Not at it's current level at any rate.  I worry more about my fellow Americans reactions.

"Why don't they move to remove his citizenship then the door would be open for naming him an enemy combatant."  

A Plea deal ... are you kidding me. This man is a terrorist and you want to offer him a plea.. #$%$ No wonder the #$%$ holes of the world come here to kill us.

So when it was even speculated... speculated, mind you, that the guy responsible could get a plea deal, well people more or less followed the script.

Anybody wonder what is wrong with the justice system. I am all for a fair trial, I am not for years of negotiations that cost millions of tax payer dollars. All the while blaming America and making him a victim, instead of a speedy trial and public hanging.

I can guarantee you that if an American blew up a bomb in a muslime country and killed innocent people over there, he would be beheaded. Case closed.

Is the anger justified?  Sure.  It was a terrible thing and people have ever right to feel anger.  They have every right to demand the man's head and throw his body into the Tiber.

Thankfully this guy is just a criminal and not a terrorist, according to dear janet we need to watch Christians and returning service personnel because they could be terrorists. This guy is muslim and we all know that they are a peaceful ilk so once again no terrorism here.

 And what I have seen time and again is that police, politicians and military use this anger when it's still fresh.  All these people willing to forgo one man's rights in order to feel safe or justified.  Of course they never forgo one man's rights, now do they?

Hell since he admits to it. and claiming no ties to a muslim group. Whats the problem? He is one injection away from death. America has no worries from a muslim attack for his death.. LOL, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. KILL him and place hid body in a furnace. The End

It's not that people are saying these things that worries me.  It's expected.  It may even be therapeutic.  What worries me is that people are going to take them seriously.  Policy will be enacted based on the vitriol, fear and anger immediately proceeding such an attack and we will have to live with it for as long as this republic still stands.

There is plenty of evidence to put him away. If he doesn't get the death penalty he would get butt raped and probably killed in prison. It may be better for him to go to prison since we cant legally sentence him to death by butt rape, which sounds way worse then lethal injection.

It's a sad thing when this might be the smartest thing I read today.