Gurguvungunit
15-12-2008, 09:16
London
+++It wasn't every day that Strathairn appeared in Parliament feeling decidedly uncomfortable, but then it wasn't every day that he appeared in Parliament with a funding measure that would require vast amounts of money and guarantee no immediate return. Standing at his usual position behind the lectern, Strathairn resisted the urge to take a deep, visible breath. He scanned the opposition benches and was gratified to see that they were slightly less populated than usual, a lucky but not particularly helpful occurrence. If anything, it was the Liberals who would be most uncomfortable with his proposal, considering their usual response to large amounts of money spent by the government. He'd spoken to the party whips, all of whom had promised to do their best. It went unsaid, as usual, that their best might not indeed be good enough. Strathairn glanced to his right and left, observing the attitude of his senior cabinet ministers. He caught Christina's eye for a moment, and she winked. Strathairn squared his shoulders and began to speak.
+++"My Lord Chancellor, Mister Speaker:
+++"In 1497, just five years after Christopher Columbus departed from Spain, John Cabot set sail on his historic voyage. With eighteen men and a small ship, he sailed across the North Atlantic without a reliable measure of longitude, no clear destination and absolutely no contact with Europe. On the 24th of June, he landed on Cape Bonavista in Newfoundland, the first European to set foot in North America since the Vikings. His heroic journey expanded the British mind and paved the way for those who came after, inaugurating an age of exploration by people of this Island that has brought us and the world prosperity, trade and the global diffusion of ideas.
+++"Cabot was not an aberration, although he was certainly ahead of his time. In his footsteps would follow Francis Drake, Henry Hudson, James Cook, Alexander MacKenzie, David Livingstone and countless others. These men forged boldly ahead into the unknown, armed with courage, determination and force of will. Some did not come home. Nonetheless, through their sacrifice the British people expanded the horizons of the Western world and created the global system through which all nations and all peoples today engage in diplomacy and trade. We have an ancient tradition of discovery and exploration, which this House has supported nobly. To this House, and the sovereign it represents, is owed the very system of the world.
+++"This world is now fully known to us; satellites display every square inch of its ground and there are few places that men have not seen with their own eyes. We have inherited a world with no new discoveries to be made, no new lands with which to establish the ties of diplomacy. If human society can be said to experience distinct ages, we have long left the age of discovery behind. Indeed, the British spirit that has been much remarked upon–the curiosity, fortitude and adventurousness of our people–has had to find other outlets. This is not a bad thing, and to it we owe many scientific and social advances. However, there is the sense that we must continue to advance, that there is a realm as yet unknown. We British, who have led the world for generations in the expansion of the human mind, have entered into a period of intellectual stagnation, and the flag of progress has been taken up by others.
+++"This, too, is natural. All societies experience golden ages of advance and prosperity, and all societies experience declines. The fact of the matter is, ours has been in decline for nearly a century. Since the end of the Great War, Britain has contended with others for the intellectual leadership of mankind. This mantle is, for the moment, in the hands of the United States–and by them human understanding has made yet more great strides. However, through no true fault of their own, the Quinntonians have too begun to lag. Since planting the stars and stripes on the Moon, the Quinntonian space program has been locked in a sort of homeostasis of gradual, cautious advance.
+++"Advance, in its proper form, is neither gradual nor cautious. As Quinntonian President Kennedy said, 'we choose to go to the moon in this decade and do other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard'. In so choosing, Kennedy encapsulated the true spirit of scientific and intellectual advance: we advance not because it is easy, but because it is hard. We explore, theorize and invent not because these explorations, theories and inventions exist to be happened upon, but because uncommon men make uncommon strides towards their discovery. Advance, therefore, is not a condition of humanity but rather a challenge which the most exceptional of humans will occasionally undertake.
+++"In that spirit, then, I ask this House to approve a funding measure dedicated to the creation of a British Empire Space Association. This planet of ours is not safe; nations armed with terrible weapons exist and, through negligence, avarice or foolishness, may yet cause the extinction of our race. We as human beings can no longer afford to be tied to this one planet, though it is still our home. We are, and ever will be, children of the Earth. However, like all children, the time will come when we can no longer live at home, in the increasingly limiting environment of loving parents and childhood trappings.
+++"I am suggesting what you think I am suggesting: this Earth is becoming too small and too dangerous for us. It is true, there is no reasonable theory for how a human being might safely live on another world or in orbit of this one, but if we are to believe that humanity can adapt to changing situations, then the logical conclusion is that humanity does not yet know how to live elsewhere. This, amongst other things, is what the proposed British Empire Space Association would seek to discover.
+++"Clearly, the British Empire and its people have grave earthly challenges, and we must continue to meet these with our full vigor. Space colonization is a long-term, speculative goal; one in which we are not assured success. There is much to learn, and it will not be easy. We have no domestic infrastructure set up for space exploration, and the leading minds in this field live elsewhere. These are real challenges that we must meet if we are to be successful, and I expect that this project will continue well beyond our lifetimes.
+++"Currently, the vast majority of space research undertaken within the British Empire is within the private sector, a pattern which BESA would in no way attempt to forestall. The private sector has long been a major contributor to space exploration, and I believe that it will continue to be so. BESA will seek to harness the expertise within the private sector and will form Her Majesty's Government's proprietary space exploration arm. I anticipate that BESA will work with NASA and other agencies to expand the horizons of human knowledge and achieve the goals which I have so far outlined. As I have said, we have no guarantee of success, but our people has a proud history of innovation that makes us uniquely suited to the exploration of space and the claiming of the stars for the human race.
+++"If approved, BESA's initial charge will be to place a British citizen in orbit of this planet, with an eye towards investigating the feasibility of long-term settlement in a low-gravity environment. Working with NASA, I expect that we can construct a functional space habitat capable of supporting one or more humans for a period of two to three months. Accordingly, I request that this House approve the appropriation of ten billion pounds–" he paused for a moment, waiting for the shouting to subside. As expected much of it was coming from irritated Liberal back-benchers who had defied their whips, and he looked to the Speaker's podium. "Mister Speaker, if I may?" The speaker banged his gavel irritatedly until the house began to fall silent. "Thank you. I request that this House approve the appropriation of ten billion pounds for the annual budget of the British Empire Space Association, and dedicate a special committee for its governance."
+++"Yes, this is an ambitious and, some might say, fanciful goal. But what is fancy, except a dream that has not yet come to realization? Once, it would have been fanciful to dream that humans could fly: now we do so in the thousands per day. God did not give humans wings, but he did give us minds to build them. So too, he did not make space an easy place for us to work and perhaps live, but I believe that it remains possible for us to do so. As the human population steadily increases and our resources become ever more thinly spread, we like our ancestors must look outward beyond ourselves. I can promise you nothing in terms of returns, be they financial or scientific. I can promise you only that if you approve this measure, man will have a reasonable, decent chance to become a child not just of Earth, but of the stars themselves."
+++It wasn't every day that Strathairn appeared in Parliament feeling decidedly uncomfortable, but then it wasn't every day that he appeared in Parliament with a funding measure that would require vast amounts of money and guarantee no immediate return. Standing at his usual position behind the lectern, Strathairn resisted the urge to take a deep, visible breath. He scanned the opposition benches and was gratified to see that they were slightly less populated than usual, a lucky but not particularly helpful occurrence. If anything, it was the Liberals who would be most uncomfortable with his proposal, considering their usual response to large amounts of money spent by the government. He'd spoken to the party whips, all of whom had promised to do their best. It went unsaid, as usual, that their best might not indeed be good enough. Strathairn glanced to his right and left, observing the attitude of his senior cabinet ministers. He caught Christina's eye for a moment, and she winked. Strathairn squared his shoulders and began to speak.
+++"My Lord Chancellor, Mister Speaker:
+++"In 1497, just five years after Christopher Columbus departed from Spain, John Cabot set sail on his historic voyage. With eighteen men and a small ship, he sailed across the North Atlantic without a reliable measure of longitude, no clear destination and absolutely no contact with Europe. On the 24th of June, he landed on Cape Bonavista in Newfoundland, the first European to set foot in North America since the Vikings. His heroic journey expanded the British mind and paved the way for those who came after, inaugurating an age of exploration by people of this Island that has brought us and the world prosperity, trade and the global diffusion of ideas.
+++"Cabot was not an aberration, although he was certainly ahead of his time. In his footsteps would follow Francis Drake, Henry Hudson, James Cook, Alexander MacKenzie, David Livingstone and countless others. These men forged boldly ahead into the unknown, armed with courage, determination and force of will. Some did not come home. Nonetheless, through their sacrifice the British people expanded the horizons of the Western world and created the global system through which all nations and all peoples today engage in diplomacy and trade. We have an ancient tradition of discovery and exploration, which this House has supported nobly. To this House, and the sovereign it represents, is owed the very system of the world.
+++"This world is now fully known to us; satellites display every square inch of its ground and there are few places that men have not seen with their own eyes. We have inherited a world with no new discoveries to be made, no new lands with which to establish the ties of diplomacy. If human society can be said to experience distinct ages, we have long left the age of discovery behind. Indeed, the British spirit that has been much remarked upon–the curiosity, fortitude and adventurousness of our people–has had to find other outlets. This is not a bad thing, and to it we owe many scientific and social advances. However, there is the sense that we must continue to advance, that there is a realm as yet unknown. We British, who have led the world for generations in the expansion of the human mind, have entered into a period of intellectual stagnation, and the flag of progress has been taken up by others.
+++"This, too, is natural. All societies experience golden ages of advance and prosperity, and all societies experience declines. The fact of the matter is, ours has been in decline for nearly a century. Since the end of the Great War, Britain has contended with others for the intellectual leadership of mankind. This mantle is, for the moment, in the hands of the United States–and by them human understanding has made yet more great strides. However, through no true fault of their own, the Quinntonians have too begun to lag. Since planting the stars and stripes on the Moon, the Quinntonian space program has been locked in a sort of homeostasis of gradual, cautious advance.
+++"Advance, in its proper form, is neither gradual nor cautious. As Quinntonian President Kennedy said, 'we choose to go to the moon in this decade and do other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard'. In so choosing, Kennedy encapsulated the true spirit of scientific and intellectual advance: we advance not because it is easy, but because it is hard. We explore, theorize and invent not because these explorations, theories and inventions exist to be happened upon, but because uncommon men make uncommon strides towards their discovery. Advance, therefore, is not a condition of humanity but rather a challenge which the most exceptional of humans will occasionally undertake.
+++"In that spirit, then, I ask this House to approve a funding measure dedicated to the creation of a British Empire Space Association. This planet of ours is not safe; nations armed with terrible weapons exist and, through negligence, avarice or foolishness, may yet cause the extinction of our race. We as human beings can no longer afford to be tied to this one planet, though it is still our home. We are, and ever will be, children of the Earth. However, like all children, the time will come when we can no longer live at home, in the increasingly limiting environment of loving parents and childhood trappings.
+++"I am suggesting what you think I am suggesting: this Earth is becoming too small and too dangerous for us. It is true, there is no reasonable theory for how a human being might safely live on another world or in orbit of this one, but if we are to believe that humanity can adapt to changing situations, then the logical conclusion is that humanity does not yet know how to live elsewhere. This, amongst other things, is what the proposed British Empire Space Association would seek to discover.
+++"Clearly, the British Empire and its people have grave earthly challenges, and we must continue to meet these with our full vigor. Space colonization is a long-term, speculative goal; one in which we are not assured success. There is much to learn, and it will not be easy. We have no domestic infrastructure set up for space exploration, and the leading minds in this field live elsewhere. These are real challenges that we must meet if we are to be successful, and I expect that this project will continue well beyond our lifetimes.
+++"Currently, the vast majority of space research undertaken within the British Empire is within the private sector, a pattern which BESA would in no way attempt to forestall. The private sector has long been a major contributor to space exploration, and I believe that it will continue to be so. BESA will seek to harness the expertise within the private sector and will form Her Majesty's Government's proprietary space exploration arm. I anticipate that BESA will work with NASA and other agencies to expand the horizons of human knowledge and achieve the goals which I have so far outlined. As I have said, we have no guarantee of success, but our people has a proud history of innovation that makes us uniquely suited to the exploration of space and the claiming of the stars for the human race.
+++"If approved, BESA's initial charge will be to place a British citizen in orbit of this planet, with an eye towards investigating the feasibility of long-term settlement in a low-gravity environment. Working with NASA, I expect that we can construct a functional space habitat capable of supporting one or more humans for a period of two to three months. Accordingly, I request that this House approve the appropriation of ten billion pounds–" he paused for a moment, waiting for the shouting to subside. As expected much of it was coming from irritated Liberal back-benchers who had defied their whips, and he looked to the Speaker's podium. "Mister Speaker, if I may?" The speaker banged his gavel irritatedly until the house began to fall silent. "Thank you. I request that this House approve the appropriation of ten billion pounds for the annual budget of the British Empire Space Association, and dedicate a special committee for its governance."
+++"Yes, this is an ambitious and, some might say, fanciful goal. But what is fancy, except a dream that has not yet come to realization? Once, it would have been fanciful to dream that humans could fly: now we do so in the thousands per day. God did not give humans wings, but he did give us minds to build them. So too, he did not make space an easy place for us to work and perhaps live, but I believe that it remains possible for us to do so. As the human population steadily increases and our resources become ever more thinly spread, we like our ancestors must look outward beyond ourselves. I can promise you nothing in terms of returns, be they financial or scientific. I can promise you only that if you approve this measure, man will have a reasonable, decent chance to become a child not just of Earth, but of the stars themselves."