Quote:
Originally posted by Johca_Gaorl
I was trying to point out what I ssee as an obvious discontinuity in your arguments, I just did it poorly.
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Very poorly.
Their work transcends national boundaries, foreign policy, and socio-economic divisions. Their work had the immense potential to benefit everyone on the planet.
I don't see how there's any discontinuity there, but that's not really relevant.
Look at the bigger picture. NASA is an American agency, for certain. America funds NASA, and many of the astronauts were American citizens. I'm not disputing that, nor do I care, honestly. Their work wasn't distinctly American. They weren't trying to build a better hot dog, or make baseball more interesting to watch. Their work had international, humanist appeal and benefit. There is nothing about their work that, to my knowledge, was only applicable to the American people. They're not trying to cure diseases that only American's contract, or engineer food that only American's can eat, or establish a colony that only Americans can live in.
For "America" to step in and say that these were
our astronauts on
our Space Shuttle Columbia, spending
our tax dollars - while not incorrect - is horrendously callous and selfish and self-righteous.
We have no place to take the spirit, fervor and accomplishments of these seven people away from the rest of the planet and claim it as our own. Neither do you.