The timing of the Cassini spacecraft showing beautifully detailed black and white images of Saturn’s rings couldn’t be better. These pictures show our solar system unfolding in improbably delightful ways.
But here’s the thing about the timing: Just when the United States seems to be at the point of self-parody, when much of the world is questioning the veracity of every U.S. foreign policy statement, and when the lies and fabulous assertions fall hollow (e.g. solving AIDS in Africa, sending humans to Mars, ending the Middle East crisis) — American ingenuity, resources, and technology bring us these images of our brother planet Saturn. It’s a relief to me, to know that Saturn’s rings are as magical as they told us they were in grade school. Happy Fourth.
“Just when… fabulous assertions fall hollow… American ingenuity, resources, and technology bring us these images of our brother planet Saturn.”
Sorry, Andrew – the ingenuity you are marveling at is yesteryear’s advance planning, yesteryear’s NASA (10? 20 years ago?). If the current W.H. occupant had had anything to do with NASA, we’d still be waiting to get the bid back from Halliburton, and we wouldn’t have made it to the moon – that $$ would have nuked Castro.
That ‘Mission to Mars’ crap is just propaganda, to get through the next election cycle. Do yourself a favor today – get a ‘Grande’ cup of coffee at Starbuck’s and go see ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’. And stop reading the David Brooks articles…
victor: happy independence day. see you in the streets.
http://shoutheardroundtheworld.org/