Hollywood, Russia bicker over Bass

AP via CNN ^ | 13 August 2002 | AP

[SBeck]

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Lance Bass' space voyage was at risk Tuesday while Hollywood dealmakers and Russian bureaucrats squabbled over payment for the pop idol's $20 million trip.

"We have a contract, but we don't have any money," Russian Aerospace Agency spokesman Konstantin Kreidenko said.

[SBeck]

Could someone please explain to me why this valueless, non-entity is being allowed to make this trip while scientists, physicists, engineers and astronomers from around the world have toiled - anonymously and with distinguished excellence - are not. Anyone?

[Eaker]

Free enterprise??

Stay safe; stay armed.

[Brett66]

Space Tourism, whoever has the money gets to go. This is the future, tax-payer funded super elites going to space is becoming a thing of the past. This is a good thing, socialism in space doesn't work.

[Brett66]

Anyone care to add their two centavos?

[Centurion2000]

Wait till one of them dies doing it.

[SBeck]

super elites going to space is becoming a thing of the past.

I respectfully disagree, the folks who put the men on the moon and the men who walked on the moon were not "super elites". They are in fact similar to many of the posters found on this forum: dedicated, excellent Americans who, through hard word and discipline, achieved much and added to the American fabric and the human endeavor. I doubt very much that Alan Shepard, Neil Armstrong or Deke Slayton would consider themselves "super elite".

Lance Bass is a "super elite" and through this mockery wastes valuable payload space with his "goal".

[SBeck]

Give it a rest son of Norvok. Calling me a communist makes you silly.

[gcruse]

anonymously and with distinguished excellence

You don't see a contradiction in terms here?

[Brett66]

I guess there's a lot of ways to define "super-elite", I would define it as those chosen by the government to go to space. IMO, the government should not be in the business of choosing who goes to space, but since they're the only game in town they've been put in that position.

We're getting ready to see tourists going up on a frequent basis, this means the very wealthiest will be first. As time goes on and we get cheaper systems operating, the price per ticket will get down to the sub $100,000 range,that's when a LOT of people will get the chance. I think we'll see prices of $10,000 or less to low earth orbit within 20 years, this is the very beginning of an industry that will deliver on that promise.

[SBeck]

Perhaps a poor choice of words, but I challenge anyone to name an American astronomer or scientist (outside of the usual suspects, Stephen Hawkins or Carl Sagan) who have distinguished themselves within their community, but who are below the radar screen as far as our pop-culture, 24x7 entertainment and sports fueled society.

[Brett66]

I'm not too thrilled by the rich and famous hollywood types going up; however, with this whole Lance Bass thing, MTV will be dedicating several shows to this. The addle-brained MTV crowd will actually be aware of space travel, I think that's great IMHO. This could be another "Sputnik" for the current generation of teens.

[gcruse]

EO Wilson
David Guth
Steven Weinberg

[SBeck]

I disagree, the next "Sputnik" for the addled brained will be when the Chinese land men on the moon. They are well on the way to accomplishing this and I expect to see it happen within the next decade.

[Willie Green]

Could someone please explain to me why this valueless, non-entity is being allowed to make this trip while scientists, physicists, engineers and astronomers from around the world have toiled - anonymously and with distinguished excellence - are not. Anyone?

Free enterprise.

[SBeck]

Free enterprise.

Capitalism is good and the only economic model I subscribe to. Free enterprise and its close cousin, criminal enterprise, are a crock (ask any ex-Amway distributor, there are lots of them here).

[Willie Green]

Free enterprise and its close cousin, criminal enterprise, are a crock (ask any ex-Amway distributor, there are lots of them here).

Yep. Which is why I've conceded that NASA's glory days are over and future space exploration should be turned over to the private sector. There's nothing up there but a bunch of sterile rocks. If the Discovery Channel, NOVA and National Geographic want to team up to provide funding for people to go up their and film some documentaries for them, fine by me. Just so long as my tax dollars aren't wasted on the endeavor.

We need to reevalaute our priorities. Far more people will benefit from modern, high-tech, efficient mass-transportation systems such as high-speed rail and Maglev than will ever ride on a space shuttle. Scuttle the shuttle and build Maglev! It's more down to earth.

[gcruse]

I assume we agree on what capitalism is.
Do you agree with this definition of free
enterprise?  And if you do, why is it a crock?

Main Entry: free enterprise
Function: noun
Date: 1890

: freedom of private business to organize and operate for profit in a
competitive system without interference by government beyond regulation
necessary to protect public interest and keep the national economy in
balance

[SBeck]

without interference by government beyond regulation necessary to protect public interest and keep the national economy in balance

1890 definition is good. One word/company scuttles it today: Enron. Free enterprise, as defined, has been abrogated by the scam artists that inhabit the corporate suites and the scum that inhabits Congress. Thus, the crock.