[eanbardsley]

I have never read Heinlein, but I became interested in him when I read recently that he, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke, are considered the pillars of modern science fiction. I have only read what I have been introduced to by my Dad, and that is Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke. After reading posts here I see he was of the school might makes right. I would tend to put Asimov and Clarke in the school of love is answer. I find it interesting that people whether from one school or the other admire his ability to write, regardless. Clearly this says the the two schools are not a matter of intelligence. I am somewhat of a scientist, by no means a rocket scientist, and so many scientists lack an education in the humanities, which Jacob Bronowski and C.P. Snow have pointed out is dangerous. My values have always come from their philosophic writing, Science and Human Values, and The Two Cultures. Capital punishment? What does Bronowski say about that? He says we fear the murderer in ourselves and end up commiting murder. Anyway very intelligent political analysis in this thread, makes me realize how much I have to learn about politics. I currently feel you can't go wrong with Einstein, and he said a truly advanced civilization would be vegetarian. I don't know, I love meat, perhaps he was more concerned with how cattle can convert a green pasture into mud that won't grow anything for a century if rains enough (that is they are not an effecient means of a viable ecology, perhaps). Or perhaps he meant respect of all life, intelligent or otherwise. I don't even kill spiders in the house anymore, even if my sister hates them. I let them crawl onto a piece of paper and release them outdoors, perhaps it is good for karma, or perhaps letting them be in their natural habitat is good
for the Earth, I don't know, but I do know the earth is the only support system we have currently got, and evolution set things up a certain way, and I am not going to mess with it.