Can't we be political just this once?

[Solfe]

I prefer my Bautforum politics free, it suits the site and I believe that it is a benefit most of the time.

However, this year NASA is in seriously trouble and I think that Baut should at least say something about it. And it does come come down to politics.

Let me qualify all of this: I am not proposing that we slaughter the moderation team by either allowing politics or creating a crazy quilt of acceptable political posting rules. That would be a nightmare.

I think we should politely (but firmly) ask Fraser Cain and Phil Plait to write more about the budget problem and use a particular hashtag when doing so. Since those two (perhaps there are others) have more freedom to "go political" and post those links here on the board (while not discussing here), they should do so prolifically. They should mention other social media outlets where politics are allowed, preferably media sites that require a name so they don't appear to have a horde of anonymous zombies following them. Google+ and Facebook spring to mind, because once you have any account you don't need permission to use it. Directing people to other boards, news and blogs has the issue of possibly causing evil traffic problems.

I am pretty sure Phil P. and Fraser C. already have posted about the disappointing budget... but maybe they could do so with more zeal?

Perhaps the moderation team could ask them if Phil and Fraser don't read often enough to see this post. Maybe, the moderation team (or Phil and Fraser) could allow a sticky'ed post as recap or roadmap to places where this topic is hot (and welcome).

[NEOWatcher]

However, this year NASA is in seriously trouble and I think that Baut should at least say something about it. And it does come come down to politics.

Perhaps I don't know what you want to discuss, but it is in the rules.

12. Politics & Religion
Due to the contentious nature of these subjects, forum participants are strongly advised to avoid discussing religious and political issues. Please don't begin or contribute to a topic that's merely going to incite or fuel a flame war.
However, the following exceptions apply:
A) Political impact upon space programs, exploration, and science.
...

I think where people get tripped up is when they start making value judgements comparing it to non-NASA budgets.

ETA:
Also; (being an election year) I can imagine people getting into trouble if they start making statements that might be taken as endorsements. Also; I think there are some religious aspects in the candidates that might get out of hand.

[Swift]

Phil seems to have virtually nothing to do with BAUT any longer. I certainly haven't communicated with him in years. Fraser does slightly more, but not much. You will have as much success communicating with them, through their blogs or e-mail, as I would.

As NEOWatcher pointed out, NASA's budget is an allowed topic on BAUT. Endorsements of specific candidates are not, though it would OK to state the position of candidates on Space Exploration issues (it would be nice if this was backed up, for example, with a link to the candidates website or position paper on it). Also, as NEOWatcher points out, value judgements versus non-space-exploration budget items is where people get into trouble.

If someone wants to start a thread about this, go for it. If you think it should be stickied, Report the starting post and ask and the mods can consider it (any mod can sticky a thread)

[Solfe]

If I can come up with something sane and coherent, I will take a stabbed at a new thread. If...

Thank you

[publiusr]

Neil de Grasse Tyson stays away from politics as much as possible for good reason. On his C-Span presentation, we had an individual griping about a certain party being anti-intellectual--just offereing Neil a tasty morsel. He didn't bite--at least not much. Later a man asked him about launch loops, space elevators--and he said he had no preference. My guess is that he does--but just refused to say. The only time he came down hard, was when someone talked about anti-gravity--and he likened it to perpetual motion--and rightly so.

He didn't like the eggs off one basket arguement--saying that moving an asteroid was easier than terraforming mars.

But he forgot about flood basalt volcanism.

[grapes]

But he forgot about flood basalt volcanism.

For terraforming? I guess it would be a start.

[marsbug]

I prefer my Bautforum politics free, it suits the site and I believe that it is a benefit most of the time.

However, this year NASA is in seriously trouble and I think that Baut should at least say something about it. And it does come come down to politics.

Let me qualify all of this: I am not proposing that we slaughter the moderation team......

Skimming through threads can give a misleading impression. For example: skimming this thread led me, momantarily, to believe that Solfe equated discussion of politics on BAUT with mass murder of the admins and mods. I think it was because of the word politics in the title.....

[HenrikOlsen]

"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." Is the rallying cry of people who would do wrong.

[publiusr]

For terraforming? I guess it would be a start.

No--we could stop an asteroid--but we could not stop flood basalt on Earth--another planet would be the safe place.