"Another Modest Proposal and the Local News"
By Nevada Jack
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| Nevada Jack |
Lately, there has been a competition for a one-way trip to
Mars going on within our midst as I was reminded of reading this post by a Cuban in London. A few
lucky and crazy members of the human race get to sail through space and land on
Mars where they will spend out their days (with obviously limited oxygen and
food supplies) wondering what they were thinking while we watch. Obviously, the desire to be famous overrode
any cognitive functions within their brains.
I have never understood our fascination of reality TV or
survival shows. Reality TV seem so
unreal. Survival shows, with the idea of
voting people off an island, seems to be the apex of some extreme social-Darwin
capitalism that is in conflict with my Christian humanistic beliefs. But, considering the numbers of people who not
only enjoy but make time to engross themselves in such shows, maybe we should
give in, marry the two genres, and declare the globe to be a reality TV survival
show. The upside of all this is that
instead of competing for a one-way ticket to Mars, we could vote people off the
planet. Then, before the rocket lifted off, we could
have the humble but reluctant astronauts show remorse and speak to what they
should have done differently or why it is a mistake to send them to the red
planet and not someone else.
Just think of the possibilities. We could rid the globe of bad guys with
horrible hair like Kim Jong-un. We could
rid the world of ISIS fighters. We could
rid the world of Miley Cyrus. We could
rid the world of the New York Yankees. And we could rid the world of a handful of Fox
News correspondents as we offer them an “exclusive” on reporting from
Mars.
Perhaps Mars, the candy company, could underwrite this new
program through commercials and, as a bonus, stock the rocket with plenty of
candy bars.
I realize that for many people, Darwin and Capitalism in the
same category and Christian and humanism in the same category is challenging,
but deal with it. Or, vote me off the
planet. Or better yet, vote Sage off! Who would you vote off?
Georgia’s Postpones Execution
Sage and I both dislike the idea of with capital punishment. That was the one thing enlightening about
Michigan where we spent a decade. The
state has never allowed the death penalty, a prohibition that goes back to the
1830s. We have, however, lived in
states, like Utah, that carried out the death penalty. And we spoke out against it. Now we’re in Georgia and we don’t know what
to make of the news that our state postponed the execution of Kelly Gessendaner
due to weather! Gessendaner arranged to have
her husband killed and has admitted her guilt.
She would be the first woman executed in the state since 1945. But the state wasn’t able to carry out its
order because of a bit of snow! Maybe
this is a sign from someone higher up than the governor that our state should
end this horrific practice. What's your thoughts?
The Mars thing definitely perplexes me. I wonder if the government won't step in and stop it--it's basically a suicide mission?! I think the success of reality TV says a lot about our basic instinct to connect with other people. That was great in the early days of reality TV, when REAL people were on these shows. Now it's just a bunch of self-absorbed attention-hounds who aren't real people at all.
ReplyDeleteI think economics will step in when they try to get a rocket that will stand half a chance of making it to the red planet.
DeleteThe only reality shows I watch are cooking ones. And I understand how unreal they are. I never understood the appeal of survivor either. I tell you, I admire the folks who are going to go to Mars. I wouldn't have the guts.
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested if there was a chance to make it back... I ain't signing up for no one way ticket beyond the atmosphere.
DeleteI think mankind will be getting to Mars sooner or later anyhow. And I'm pretty confident we'll screw it up even if we begin from a framework of science.
ReplyDeleteBeginning as Reality TV...probably just does so at warp speed.
I think we'll get there, too. I wish NASA was still in the space business...
DeleteI suppose it's better than continuing to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on launching rockets.
ReplyDeleteI think you're onto something with the Fox News thing. Where do I vote?
Who's your pick forr the front seat in the rocket?
DeleteI heard about people agreeing to colonize Mars, but it being a one way trip would be enough to stop me from going.
ReplyDeleteYeah, a one way ticket isn't appealing.
Deleteblows my mind on the things people will do to be famous...reality tv being one of the worst...and how they act...it is far from reality...and capital punishment does not work, statistically it is not a deterrent and the process so long as well, it does nothing...
ReplyDeleteIf you want to be famous, you should do something good for others... unreal reality tv ain't it and as for capital punishment, it is just sends the wrong message and I really don't like the idea of the state having that kind of power.
DeleteI guess I've missed the boat on the people selection for a one way ticket to Mars. I have slipped on my current events knowledge. I'm guessing if only half your guest list made it on the flight, none would actually reach Mars alive. They would probably all kill each other before getting beyond the moon.
ReplyDeleteActually, with that group of people in the rocket, it would make one heck of a reality TV show!
DeleteBack when Survivor was new, I used to watch it with my family. I don't watch any of those reality shows anymore. It seems like they skimp on the reality.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea about sending certain people to Mars. ;)
"Skimp on reality" that's a great line!
DeleteOh, what people will do today to gain fame and popularity. But this project. I don't know yet what's the cause is for. I haven't read the whole stuff.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if there is a cause, because a bunch of yahoos sent to Mars ain't exactly going to enhance our scientific knowledge of the planet.
DeleteOh. Let's see where it's going then.
DeleteHappy weekend!
Reality TV materialized 36 months after cable television really made some inroads in 2000. I've made an argument for an alternative program on my YouTube Channel to this insanity that is family friendly and positive programming that leads to good deeds. The list for Mars is an interesting idea!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing your program go to the next step, Michael!
DeleteI hadn't heard about the death penalty postponement. That's crazy to delay it for a few snowflakes! It's just an excuse.
ReplyDeleteI don't even bother watching reality shows. I'm busy enjoying my own reality. :) (I wouldn't vote you off a show. You're too cool!)
The pending execution gets even weirder as they decide the drug they were going to us was cloudy so they postponed again... Just give it up Georgia, but their are those calling for an eye for an eye
DeleteI hadn't heard about the death penalty postponement. That's crazy to delay it for a few snowflakes! It's just an excuse.
ReplyDeleteI don't even bother watching reality shows. I'm busy enjoying my own reality. :) (I wouldn't vote you off a show. You're too cool!)
People going to Mars. Well I suppose some nutters have to be first. It can't be any more nutty than the first people jumping out of a plane with a bag full of lines and silk.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with any State sanctioning the death of one of it's citizens. It's one thing for a racist invader using death as the sanction for any number of so called crimes which was what we had with Common Law and a Constitutional Democracy with legal slight of hand removing the citizenship of those they decide are worthless and then slaughtering them. Remember even with a confession any verdict is at best a probability. And given the nature of justice with what it does to the poor, no verdict is safe. This especially true for one where the sanction is death. Plus the last one they killed they pardoned, but only after she was dead for years. All very well to provide a nicy-nicy feeling with the pardon, but can you tell me what bloody good it does for the person killed.
I agree with you on State sanctioned death!
DeleteThis is the first I've heard about the whole Mars thing. I wouldn't go and certainly wouldn't want to go. I don't watch much television, but I think there is something much more insipid than than Survivor being aired. The news!
ReplyDeleteThought provoking post!
But they might have Mars bars in abundance and no gravity to exacerbate the effect of overeating...
DeleteA Yankees hater! Who knew!
ReplyDeleteBut I ain't exactly a Brave's fan... they come in third: my #2 least favorite team is the Rangers and the Yankees are in the #1 spot.
DeleteI am convinced that reality TV is directly responsible for the dumbing down of america
ReplyDeleteAMEN!
DeleteDespite being a certified space nerd I haven’t paid that much attention to the “Mars One” colonization scheme. Namely because the organizers somehow think they can get their small group to the Red planet and keep them alive for a few years with just six billion dollars. Don’t get me wrong, we’ll put a human on Mars sometime in the next twenty years with a colony soon to follow. Personally if anyone is going to get the colony thing going without some national government running the show it will be Elon Musk.
ReplyDeleteAs for reality television the thing I find darkly humorous is that I can remember when the cable channels like A&E, Discovery and TLC billed themselves as the educated and cultured alternative to the crap spewed out from the free broadcast networks. I watched a little of Discovery the other day and didn’t see a soul on any of those reality shows with an IQ over 75. Absolutely do not ask my opinion on the Duck Dynasty folks and what nightmare they represent to the dying Age of Reason and Enlightment.
I’m agnostic but all I can write is thank god for PBS and Netflix.
Sage, added your blog to my blogroll.
Thanks for joining and I agree with you about PBS and Netflix
DeleteI absolutely abhor reality shows of all kinds. For one thing, they're not real! So much of it is staged. But the main thing is they're dumb or hateful or show people at their worst. I agree with the person who said they were responsible for the dumbing down of America. Amen.
ReplyDeleteAs for the execution, I don't understand killing someone to stress how wrong it is to kill.
You are right, they do show people at their worst.
DeleteAgree with you on ISIS, the North Korean nutcase and Miley. But, the Yanks? What have they ever done to you? :-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
I'm mostly a National League guy but in the American League, I root for their second rivalry (after Boston), the Detroit Tigers.
DeleteI'd vote for you...to campaign this voting people off the planet. I'll slip you my list and a $5 bill. Wink.
ReplyDeleteI'm opposed to capital punishment. The NY Yankees aren't that bad, are they?
Smiles. Happy Thursday.
Yes, the Yankees are! I've dedicated a lifetime in the hope to see their demise, and they just keep buying the best team they can afford, which is a lot.
DeleteWow, I just Googled this. I can't believe some people would go on a one-way trip to Mars. I can understand official space programs exploring this, but this looks like a group of fame-hungry, crazy, reality TV show stars wannabes.
ReplyDeleteFolks are folks and some are crazy!
DeleteIf we all could vote to send people off the planet, i suspect there wouldn't be many people left here
ReplyDelete