With all the hype about global unity as billions watched in July 1969, did it and the other landings really unify and affect a "speedy" end to the Vietnam mistake at the time?
>With all the hype about global unity as > billions watched in July 1969, did it and >the other landings really unify and affect > a "speedy" end to the Vietnam mistake >at the time?
No. The moon landings had little or no effect on the war in Vietnam, or world peace in general. People everywhere kept right on killing each other, in wars that made the evening news and many that didn't. The moon landings were the culmination of a political/technological competition between two major ideological adversaries. It was a spectacular achievement though, and it gave some indication of things that we as a species could accomplish. A thousand years from now, the only thing most people will know of from our time will be the moon landings. Hopefully, in time, people will reflect on such things and learn. Marty
I watched "In the shadow of the moon " and came out with an impression of how couldn't such achievment help motivate the globe to come together and lay away differences. It's too bad such a movie wasn't made in the early '70's or right after the first landing. They had the means.
> >With all the hype about global unity as >> billions watched in July 1969, did it and >>the other landings really unify and affect >> a "speedy" end to the Vietnam mistake >>at the time?
> No. The moon landings had little or no effect on the war in Vietnam, or > world peace in general. People everywhere kept right on killing each > other, in wars that made the evening news and many that didn't. > The moon landings were the culmination of a political/technological > competition between two major ideological adversaries. It was a > spectacular achievement though, and it gave some indication of things > that we as a species could accomplish. A thousand years from now, the > only thing most people will know of from our time will be the moon > landings. Hopefully, in time, people will reflect on such things and > learn. > Marty
In article <18014-486E2C22...@storefull-3331.bay.webtv.net>,
Marty <mov...@webtv.net> wrote: >>With all the hype about global unity as >> billions watched in July 1969, did it and >>the other landings really unify and affect >> a "speedy" end to the Vietnam mistake >>at the time?
>No. The moon landings had little or no effect on the war in Vietnam, or >world peace in general. People everywhere kept right on killing each >other, in wars that made the evening news and many that didn't.
If the space race hadn't happened, there could have been a more intence nuclear arms race instead, which could have affected world peace a lot. Anyway, since that didn't happen, we don't know what would have replaced the space race if there had been no space race. Which means we cannot exclude this possibility.
Btw that's the major weakness with many "what-if" scenarious: since that "if" didn't happen, we can only guess about the consequences if it had happened.
> The moon landings were the culmination of a political/technological >competition between two major ideological adversaries. It was a >spectacular achievement though, and it gave some indication of things >that we as a species could accomplish. A thousand years from now, the >only thing most people will know of from our time will be the moon >landings. Hopefully, in time, people will reflect on such things and >learn. > Marty
-- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Paul Schlyter, Grev Turegatan 40, SE-114 38 Stockholm, SWEDEN e-mail: pausch at stjarnhimlen dot se WWW: http://stjarnhimlen.se/
>If the space race hadn't happened, there > could have been a more intence nuclear > arms race instead, which could have > affected world peace a lot. Anyway, > since that didn't happen, we don't know > what would have replaced the space > race if there had been no space race. > Which means we cannot exclude this > possibility.
Oh, I agree FULLY. It was much better to have the two superpowers racing to the moon than duking it out in most other ways. And it all led to one of mankind's most spectacular technological achievements... the realization of a dream as old as the human ability to dream. My only point is that it DIDN'T shorten the war in Vietnam in any way, and people all over the world still felt the need to go to war for all of the usual reasons. The achievement still stands though, as an example of what humankind can accomplish. Maybe someday... Marty
> The achievement still stands though, as an example of what > humankind can accomplish. Maybe someday... > Marty
Isn't it fascinating how two completely different but opposite extremes of political ideology still achieved space travel despite themselves?
Just imagine what the human race could achieve without Russia and America holding us permanently in the dark ages.
Both equally corrupt. Both capable of great things, but ruled by rogues who make Mugabe look like he could walk on water and still provide a fake Rolex for every man women and child in his care.
Hopefully America can scrape Bush off its heel but it will never recover its false pride again. It is much too late and the injuries he caused are fatal.
Putin's own limitless greed will be his undoing... from within. The last Tsar is growing old and has only one product to sell. If the world abandons his expensive oil and gas to go green he will have nothing left to offer, except total anarchy.
Then we will have to cope with China rising.
While we can still manage it we should put a big notice in orbit to warn incoming.
Marty wrote: >> With all the hype about global unity as >> billions watched in July 1969, did it and >> the other landings really unify and affect >> a "speedy" end to the Vietnam mistake >> at the time?
> No. The moon landings had little or no effect on the war in Vietnam, or > world peace in general. People everywhere kept right on killing each > other, in wars that made the evening news and many that didn't. > The moon landings were the culmination of a political/technological > competition between two major ideological adversaries. It was a > spectacular achievement though, and it gave some indication of things > that we as a species could accomplish. A thousand years from now, the > only thing most people will know of from our time will be the moon > landings. Hopefully, in time, people will reflect on such things and > learn. > Marty
The moon landing did have an effect. It drained more resources from the Russian's than it did the USA. The drain on their resources is what did them in.
>Hopefully America can scrape Bush off > its heel but it will never recover its false > pride again. It is much too late and the > injuries he caused are fatal.
Yeah ~ yeah ~ yeah ~ America is SO EVIL. That probably explains all the people trying to escape... Marty end of this thread for me..
>> The achievement still stands though, as an example of what >> humankind can accomplish. Maybe someday... >> Marty
>Isn't it fascinating how two completely different but opposite >extremes of political ideology still achieved space travel despite >themselves?
>Just imagine what the human race could achieve without Russia and >America holding us permanently in the dark ages.
>Both equally corrupt. Both capable of great things, but ruled by >rogues who make Mugabe look like he could walk on water and still >provide a fake Rolex for every man women and child in his care.
>Hopefully America can scrape Bush off its heel but it will never >recover its false pride again. It is much too late and the injuries he >caused are fatal.
>Putin's own limitless greed will be his undoing... from within. The >last Tsar is growing old and has only one product to sell. If the >world abandons his expensive oil and gas to go green he will have >nothing left to offer, except total anarchy.
>Then we will have to cope with China rising.
>While we can still manage it we should put a big notice in orbit to >warn incoming.
"It seems to me that only with mixed feelings and considerable misgivings can the person of moral concern contemplate America's moon shot and man's first extraplanetary steps. On the one hand, I stand in awe, amazed at this most dazzling of feats, one which bespeaks man's capacity to hurl himself hundreds of thousands of miles against the heavens and yet land on his feet. On the other hand, a sense of irony grips me to the depths of my being when I view the moon feat as over against the mountainous problems which yet loom and which seemingly have rendered man and particularly American man, impotent and whimpering.
How can this nation swell and stagger with technological pride when it has a spiritual will so cripped, when it is so weak, so wicked, so blinded and misdirected in its priorities? While we can send men to the moon or deadly missles to Moscow or toward Mao, we can't get foodstuffs across town to starving folks in the teeming ghettos. While our astrophysicists can figure out the formulas that make the amazing trajectories and landings possible, we cant seem to get nutritionists and physicians to the shanties and shacks of Appalachia.
Yes, the nation inches along in dealing with the plagues of hunger, poverty, racism and war. The United States of America staggers and lurches, a drunken giant sometimes up, most times down in dealing with the diseases of our time, both physical and sociological.
Even as astronauts stride forth in the headying atmosphere of the moon, blindfolded America moves toward the whirlwind of another long, fiery summer and on to more campus rebellions and bloodletting come September. Thus, I bid us temper our shouts of exultation as man breaks the fetters of gravity while being unable to forge the links of brotherhood."
Jesse Jackson Leader of Operation Breadbasket New York Times (late edition) July 21, 1969
> "It seems to me that only with mixed feelings and considerable misgivings > can the person of moral concern contemplate America's moon shot and man's > first extraplanetary steps. On the one hand, I stand in awe, amazed at > this > most dazzling of feats, one which bespeaks man's capacity to hurl himself > hundreds of thousands of miles against the heavens and yet land on his > feet. On the other hand, a sense of irony grips me to the depths of my > being when I view the moon feat as over against the mountainous problems > which yet loom and which seemingly have rendered man and particularly > American man, impotent and whimpering.
> How can this nation swell and stagger with technological pride when it has > a spiritual will so cripped, when it is so weak, so wicked, so blinded and > misdirected in its priorities? While we can send men to the moon or > deadly missles to Moscow or toward Mao, we can't get foodstuffs across > town to starving folks in the teeming ghettos. While our astrophysicists > can figure out the formulas that make the amazing trajectories and > landings possible, we cant seem to get nutritionists and physicians to the > shanties and shacks of Appalachia.
> Yes, the nation inches along in dealing with the plagues of hunger, > poverty, racism and war. The United States of America staggers and > lurches, a drunken giant sometimes up, most times down in dealing with the > diseases of our time, both physical and sociological.
> Even as astronauts stride forth in the headying atmosphere of the moon, > blindfolded America moves toward the whirlwind of another long, fiery > summer and on to more campus rebellions and bloodletting come September. > Thus, I bid us temper our shouts of exultation as man breaks the fetters > of gravity while being unable to forge the links of brotherhood."
> Jesse Jackson > Leader of Operation Breadbasket > New York Times (late edition) > July 21, 1969
