Alex Kaminski's Blog

It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be … This, in turn, means that our statesmen, our businessmen, our everyman must take on a science fictional way of thinking. — Isaac Asimov

This is a topic that I have been contemplating for long time, and have finally forced myself to write about it.

We as a country have focused internally for so long. Our politics are reflections of our culture and society, our policies a reflection of our reality, idealism, and naiveness. For some we are a great nation. Yet, we can do better and we must do better. It is not enough to restore trust to our government, it is not enough to elect a black man president, it is not enough to pull our troops out of Iraq and restore our image around the world.

We are and have been at a point of our civilization where humanity has the power to destroy itself. It is the simple nature of history that we have been fighting each other as far back as we can go. And now we have a bomb capable of splitting atoms, an incredible scientific achievement so telling of our nature. We are in the middle of a cultural battle between the “civilized west” and the radical muslim extremists. We are in an economic stagnation, a result of our own greed.

Obama was elected into office with a message of change, hope, and idealism. And yet, if you really think Obama offers more of the same. Nothing revolutionary has happened, and a revolution (cultural not military) is exactly what we need. We are the most powerful nation on Earth, our universities are homes to some of the greatest minds of our world. And the best we can do is focus inward to fight muslim fundamentalists? Argue about torture tactics and abortion? Every civilization has faced attacks from within and from abroad, we are no different. But we cannot let these attacks define who we are. America is now defined not by its greatness, wealth, and power but by wars and critics.

Culturally, scientifically, and politically we are so far ahead of most of the rest of the world (forgive my arrogance). And that is the source our strength and weakness.

I don’t believe we have the luxury of waiting for the rest of the world to play catch up. We must progress our civilization ourselves. It is our duty and honor.

I think some have almost got it right. Many foundations and charities do incredible things around the world. They feed starving children, help free slaves, and stop genocide. But we will always have those problems. There are always outliers.

This image released by NASA and made by the Spitzer Space Telescope shows a glowing stellar nursery. The infrared image was obtained by Spitzer's infrared array camera. The Spitzer Space Telescope was named after the late Dr. Lyman Spitzer, Jr., one of the 20th century's most influential scientists, who in the mid-1940s first proposed placing telescopes in space. (AP Photo/NASA/JPL/CALTECH)

I believe our next step is to colonize space.

It is sad that a statement like that, which only forty years ago would have been applauded and supported, is now laughed at and considered impossible, a luxury we no longer have.

I have the exact opposite belief, wars like Iraq and Afghanistan are a luxury we no longer have.

Yes, we can help starving children and women who are raped in muslim-based regimes. And we have been doing so. But we can also move our civilization forward, a better cause which would have the side-effect of pushing countries and people to improve themselves – without our help.

The greatest thing we can do is not give developing countries more money and food, but incentive to move forward by themselves. I don’t believe that there is one nation that cannot solve it’s internal problems given enough motivation by its people.

We talk about the hope that Obama brings. Imagine the hope that colonizing space will bring. For too long man has stared at the stars wishing. Our nation is great enough, powerful enough, to make our dreams reality.

Take that trillion dollar stimulus package and invest it into NASA with the mission of having a permanent base of a few hundred people on Mars in thirty years. And expand that to a city with thousands within 50 years. Unrealistic? Maybe. But we humans have a knack for accomplishing amazing things.

If you take this proposal seriously as I offer it seriously, the details are not that unrealistic. And the side-effect of new job openings and technological, medical, and scientific advances that would be made in this effort alone would be worth it – especially now, in this economy.

It is about time we lived up to our potential and left our mark in the universe.

Technology is change too.

 
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Posted via email from Alex Kaminski’s posterous