Blue Origin launch

[Neil]

...happening in about 90mins...

[Tricky]

All I'm seeing across social media is people making snide comments about the evils of Amazon and the environmental effect of launching rockets, and how disgusting it is that Bezos has all this money while people are starving etc. I guess ordinary people aren't excited about space travel any more, or at least not when it's a rich person doing it.

[Neil]

All I'm seeing across social media is people making snide comments about the evils of Amazon and the environmental effect of launching rockets, and how disgusting it is that Bezos has all this money while people are starving etc. I guess ordinary people aren't excited about space travel any more, or at least not when it's a rich person doing it. Typically feelies over facts virtue signalling. I suspect many of those folks are wannabe communists. ie: Happy to preach it, but not practice it. The environmental effects of Blue Origin are negligible. Bezos is/was employing millions of people giving them an income. The fact he's spending his insane fortune on technology that could help space travel, rather than other agendas (see Mr Gates) should be considered a good thing!

[EvilNed]

I don't care either way. But the thought of him shitting in a bag is a bit amusing.

[Neil]

I don't care either way. But the thought of him shitting in a bag is a bit amusing. On a 15min flight?

[JDP]

On a 15min flight? I think that once the rocket started hauling ass straight up, it wouldn't take that long to use your "shitting pants", to use a Neganism.

[Neil]

All I'm seeing across social media is people making snide comments about the evils of Amazon and the environmental effect of launching rockets, and how disgusting it is that Bezos has all this money while people are starving etc. I guess ordinary people aren't excited about space travel any more, or at least not when it's a rich person doing it.

[EvilNed]

I have no idea what that guys argument is. He bases his entire argument around certain assumptions that he never bothers to explain. He's never struck me as very bright.

[Neil]

I have no idea what that guys argument is. He bases his entire argument around certain assumptions that he never bothers to explain. He's never struck me as very bright. "... assumptions" - He quotes people (verbatim) and then explains why he disagrees. It's a fairly common approach? He explains how these endeavours are improving things, and are not at the expense of things. ie: People are not starving because Bezzos went to space this week, as certain people are implying (such as Bernie Sanders).

[EvilNed]

I only watched the first five minutes then switched it off because he, as I said, makes a few assumptions and then base his arguments around that. For instance, he assumes that opening up Private space travel is a good thing... Why? He assumes that Amazon has done more good to the world than any help organization... Why? Those are bold statements that I want an explanation too and I know enough that I'm not going to get that from him.

[Neil]

I only watched the first five minutes then switched it off because he, as I said, makes a few assumptions and then base his arguments around that. For instance, he assumes that opening up Private space travel is a good thing... Why? He assumes that Amazon has done more good to the world than any help organization... Why? Those are bold statements that I want an explanation too and I know enough that I'm not going to get that from him. Watch the entire thing before coming to an "assumption"? - ie: You declare he doesn't explain something when you only watch 5mins? I'll field your issues/questions from what I recall him saying. So I may be a bit off/innacurate? "Private space travel is a good thing" Private industry tends to move economies forwards more than Government - ie: The private sector tends to be more efficient than the public sector. Lowering the price of space travel - These companies are reducing the cost of getting hardware (as well as people) into space, significantly. ie: Far more than for example NASA has managed, or probably will manage. Private industry is NOT costing taxes, unlike for example NASA - ie: Their developments are not taking money from your pocket to fund themselves. May even improve cost and travel times around the planet. We may well need space travel as a salvation to the species, from a resource, technology, or literally survival POV. "He assumes that Amazon has done more good to the world than any help organization" I really don't recall him saying that, or inferring that, at all? Especially as it seems a fairly ridiculious thing to suggest? Sure you didn't misunderstand/mishear something?

[EvilNed]

Watch the entire thing before coming to an "assumption"? - ie: You declare he doesn't explain something when you only watch 5mins? I'll field your issues/questions from what I recall him saying. So I may be a bit off/innacurate? "Private space travel is a good thing" Private industry tends to move economies forwards more than Government - ie: The private sector tends to be more efficient than the public sector. Lowering the price of space travel - These companies are reducing the cost of getting hardware (as well as people) into space, significantly. ie: Far more than for example NASA has managed, or probably will manage. Private industry is NOT costing taxes, unlike for example NASA - ie: Their developments are not taking money from your pocket to fund themselves. May even improve cost and travel times around the planet. We may well need space travel as a salvation to the species, from a resource, technology, or literally survival POV. "He assumes that Amazon has done more good to the world than any help organization" I really don't recall him saying that, or inferring that, at all? Especially as it seems a fairly ridiculious thing to suggest? Sure you didn't misunderstand/mishear something? I don't need to watch it, because you did it for me and it doesn't appear that he answers the questions at all. You've listed five arguments, none of which answer the question I asked. Why spend money on space travel - at all - when there are clearly much more room for improvements down here. I just expect more from somebody who blasts his mouth the way that guy did. As for the Amazon thing, well, he says it. And it's in the first five minutes, because that's all i could bother with the guy.

[Neil]

I don't need to watch it, because you did it for me and it doesn't appear that he answers the questions at all. You've listed five arguments, none of which answer the question I asked. Why spend money on space travel - at all - when there are clearly much more room for improvements down here. I just expect more from somebody who blasts his mouth the way that guy did. As for the Amazon thing, well, he says it. And it's in the first five minutes, because that's all i could bother with the guy. "Why spend money on space travel - at all - when there are clearly much more room for improvements down here." I'm confused as it seems clear to me? How is reducing the cost of space flight, not at the expense of your taxes, not a good thing? How is reducing the cost of technology we rely on, not at the expense of your taxes, not a good thing? How is indeed even developing technology that could be vital to the species, not at the expense of your taxes, not a good thing? As for then, "when there are clearly much more room for improvements down here":- Are you suggesting we simply shouldn't pioneer in any technological area, at all, until anything and everything deemed as an "improvement down here" is addressed? Many of the big tech pioneers do indeed (privately) plough plenty of their money into "improvements down here". Bezzos does and for example Elon Musk, who is pioneering SpaceX is also behind Tesla, which of course is obviously pioneering cleaner energy ("down here"). "As for the Amazon thing ['He assumes that Amazon has done more good to the world than any help organization'], well, he says it. And it's in the first five minutes" I suspect you misheard or misinterpreted Shapiro's comment where he says although Bezzos gives away hundreds of millions of dollars, Amazon itself has done more good for the world than the large cheques Bezzos simply writes to charity. I suspect you misheard that, maybe had a preconception of what you wanted to hear, and came away with the notion you did. Again, happy for a time stamp pointing to, "Amazon has done more good to the world than any help organization".

[EvilNed]

It's in the first five minutes. And no, Space travel is pretty far down the list of what we (as a species?) should be prioritizing. We've created a world where so very, very few sit on so, so much. So much that it's not even realistic to suggest with a straight face that their money is private. After all, Amazon made it's millions by cheating the US Post office and getting US tax payers to pay for it's cheap delivery costs. It's dumb, but I expect nothing else from humankind these days.

[JDP]

"As for the Amazon thing ['He assumes that Amazon has done more good to the world than any help organization'], well, he says it. And it's in the first five minutes" I suspect you misheard or misinterpreted Shapiro's comment where he says although Bezzos gives away hundreds of millions of dollars, Amazon itself has done more good for the world than the large cheques Bezzos simply writes to charity. I suspect you misheard that, maybe had a preconception of what you wanted to hear, and came away with the notion you did. Again, happy for a time stamp pointing to, "Amazon has done more good to the world than any help organization". He means what Shapiro says @4:40, namely: that he has done more good by building Amazon than all the money he has given to charity, which does imply that Amazon is more beneficial to society than charities. Not that I hate Amazon or anything like that (I find it very convenient to buy or sell some types of mechandise, just like I find eBay or Mercari very convenient for similar purposes, so I am not blasting such sites at all, I am all for free enterprise), but this sounds like an exaggerated claim. The number one beneficiary of Amazon still are the owners, not society at large.