Get those goldbricking bastards out of the way and let the space entrepreneurs step forward.

—Little Phil

One wonders whether "space entrepreneurs" would have found any economic incentive to undertake the various planetary probes of recent decades — the Mariners, Pioneers, Voyagers, Galileos — none of which yielded much in the way of practical data: I mean, who gives a flying fuck what the ass-end of Europa looks like, huh, Phil, know what I mean? Hell, even if the precursors of life existed there, we don't need 'em — they'd probably just oppose our imperial policies at every turn just like those other Europeans. But since marlowe has his finger on the popular pulse, I suppose it behooves us to listen.

Speaking of the popular pulse, Phil, any additional news about how a form letter composed by a senior officer and "signed" by some troops who never heard of it prior to publication (including at least one whose family in Olympia WA knew it was a put-up job because the sentiments expressed were exactly opposite those they were hearing in his letters and calls home — but of course, that grunt's only there, and lacks your loftier view of the front) represents the vox populi? No? Didn't think so. In MarloWorld — poof! — a contradiction ignored is a contradiction resolved.

cordially,