For New Fans

To combat spammers we have to restrict newbies from creating new topics, unfortunately.

You can still comment on others' posts, and if you don't see a post germane to what you want to say, just post it here.

Thanks, Scott!

Just recently discovered Escape from Terra, and just wanted to comment on the 2011-01-21 strip, with its depiction of the Fobos Grunt display at the "Stickney Spaceport Museum", and how sad it is that the mission failed, otherwise that would've been a perfectly accurate bit o' detail!
I'm really impressed by the level of Good Science in EfT, so this was the only disappointment so far... and that was entirely Fate's fault!

Clear Skies!
Chris Johnston

thanks scott, this looks like a good place to do an introduction. the nick is "gunner" from a long time ago, when i was cheating uncle sam out of a paycheque behind an m1919a4 browning in the peace time marine corps, ('55/'59) long time sci-fi fan, dating back to hal clement's "needle" in "astounding". just hit the three quarter century mark a couple of months ago and live in the new england state that doesn't believe in "pistol permits", don't issue them, don't require them, just mind your own business and keep the peace.
"gunner"

Update: The Home Office has decided to reduce the number of posts required to get beyond "newbie" status to one. The new anti-spam system he's been using has been working well so we don't have to be so restrictive, at least until the buggers find a means around the new anti-spam system, anyway.

So what this means is that you only have to post one reply to an existing topic (which could be this one) and you're free to create new topics and enjoy the other privileges of being a full member. Please play nice.

Just registered to compliment the author of this comic for his bravery. I am surprised to see something that portrays the creeping communism of our society as a bad thing, given the lawfare waged by the adherents of that religion. I am even more surprised that the comic has not been attacked in all manner of ways for daring to question the doctrine.

Kudos.

Just registered to compliment the author of this comic for his bravery. I am surprised to see something that portrays the creeping communism of our society as a bad thing, given the lawfare waged by the adherents of that religion.

Thank you for the kudos for the team and myself. Mostly, we aim to entertain, but we do have a sincere and (we hope) coherent and valid world-view. It's not "bravery" until they start locking us up. I think that's scheduled for 2013...

I am even more surprised that the comic has not been attacked in all manner of ways for daring to question the doctrine.

Gandhi said:

"First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win."

There are enough people questioning the doctrine, so they can no longer ignore us. We are currently in the "laughing" stage. People who espouse freedom are marginalized with a sneer and a chuckle as crazy kooks. The "fighting us" comes soon. It will not be pretty. Many innocent lives will be destroyed before freedom eventually wins.

Sandy, I've just been reading two books by Michael Z. Williamson, "Freehold" & "The Weapon", which reminded me of "Escape from Terra" quite a bit.
(You can download "Freehold" at the Baen Free Library)

Sandy, I've just been reading two books by Michael Z. Williamson, "Freehold" & "The Weapon", which reminded me of "Escape from Terra" quite a bit.
(You can download "Freehold" at the Baen Free Library)

I rather amazes me that Freehold wasn't a finalist for the 2005 Prometheus Award (the same year that the on-line graphic novel adaptation of The Probability Broach got a special award).  (It wouldn't have won, there were some kick-ass books that year, but that Crichton thing shouldn't have even gotten a nod).  Then again, I haven't been able to afford a voting membership in the LFS this past decade.

I'd nominate both EFT and Quantum Vibe for a special award if I was presently a member.

Thank you for the kudos for the team and myself. Mostly, we aim to entertain, but we do have a sincere and (we hope) coherent and valid world-view. It's not "bravery" until they start locking us up. I think that's scheduled for 2013...

Your views are valid. I don't agree with them, butthey are valid. There are a few issues I have with the Ceres way of doing things that in historically had spelt bad news for societies like that, and to be fair, you guys did touch on several of them.

I don't know about the US (where I am presuming you guys are from; the right to carry guns, is very American, from the 1st or 2nd Amendment?), but here in Australia, our freedoms have been under heavy assault from minority vested interests (greenies and "human rights" racists in particular) and the Federal government (they are trying to legislate what the press can or cannot say, and wants to implement an Internet "filter" a la China). It has gotten to the point that the government anti-freedom actions have gotten notice from the international community, although many leftwing mainstream media keep quiet about it. Mark Steyn, for one, has made several comments about this.

If this comic were to be published in Australia, there is a high chance that some commie luvvie would have felt "insulted" and you guys be before a judge forthwith. We also have a very high proportion of so-called activist "judges" (an oxymoron, if I had ever heard one; they are not judges, just activists with a wig), so there is also a high chance that you guys would have been found guilty. Thus, my assertion of bravery.

The good news is that the Australian public is waking up in droves over this. In the last two state elections, the Labor Party (the ruling Federal party) have been hammered, dropping to only 26 seats in New South Wales and 7 in Queensland (from 51 pre-election). We are on track for a Federal level extinction event come the polls in 2013. The commie-greens, too, seems to have peaked at 12% in the last Federal election, losing all of their seats in the Queensland elections and polling less than 10% nationally.

One can only hope that common sense would prevail and limousine liberals be sent packing for good.

Gandhi said:

"First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win."

There are enough people questioning the doctrine, so they can no longer ignore us. We are currently in the "laughing" stage. People who espouse freedom are marginalized with a sneer and a chuckle as crazy kooks. The "fighting us" comes soon. It will not be pretty. Many innocent lives will be destroyed before freedom eventually wins.

Not in Australia, as I have stated above They are in the fighting stage here. They have tried their dirty tactics on several conservative politicians and media personalities already, but so far, all of those tactics seem to have backfired. So, they are now doing things with the Law itself instead of trying to slime and sue.

Somehow I don't think a return to conservative rule will perform any miracle for Australia.
More of the same, as with any two-party system.

When launches get cheap enough, and asteroid mining risky enough, I could see a New Australia - governments ship life convicts to the asteroids (cheaper than life in prison) to engage in high risk industry (or no resupply).   After a generation, it's the place freedom loving people *want* to go.

Somehow I don't think a return to conservative rule will perform any miracle for Australia.
More of the same, as with any two-party system.

Anything is better than a commie-fascist government which claims the high ground by pandering to PCness, backed by a compliant press and taking away our freedoms chunk by large chunk.

Thus far, this government:
1. Has taken away our freedom to choose a cause by ramming the greenie Carbon (aka Carbon Dioxide, aka Breathing) Tax on us after swearing up and down it won't.
2. Has taken away our freedom to choose which charity we give to by hitting us with a tax to help Queensland after the floods.
3. Is in the process of taking away our freedom to information via the Internet Filter.
4. Is in the process of taking away our freedom to dissent by creating a "media watchdog" of idealogues.
5. Has taken away our freedom to choose the most competent person for the job with their laws against so-called "discrimination" (don't even get me started on the political entity that is Fair Work Australia; just one phrase: Craig Thompson Affair).

Conservative rule may not create miracles, but we don't really need that. What this country needs is the reversal of the above assaults on our freedoms. What the progressive tax-and-give crowd wrecked in less than 12 months in 2008 took the conservatives 20 years to build up. That is the basic fact that escapes all commies: It is harder to save than to spend.

That is the basic fact that escapes all commies: It is harder to save than to spend.

Socialists may be unware of it, but Marxist Communists are perfectly aware, and count on it as part of their strategy for revolution.

Somehow I don't think a return to conservative rule will perform any miracle for Australia.
More of the same, as with any two-party system.

Anything is better than a commie-fascist government which claims the high ground by pandering to PCness, backed by a compliant press and taking away our freedoms chunk by large chunk.

Are you aware of the Fabian Society? If not, you should look into them.

Basically, they were a bunch of early progressives who realized, quite astutely, that the political state is inherently socialist. All you have to do to end up with total socialism is to gently nudge government along its natural course. You do it by presenting people with a false choice between getting their freedoms taken away chunk by large chunk, or the so-called "lesser evil" of getting them taken away in small chunks. Then, everyone who opposes statism, rather than standing up for their principles, will support the lesser evil - because after all, if you don't support the lesser evil, then you're letting the greater evil win.

Of course, the Fabians were patient. They were perfectly fine with small steps. And eventually, as they predicted, the difference between the lesser and greater evils became such a small margin that it hardly made any difference. That's where we are today. Either you support big government through social engineering and the welfare state, or you support big government through moral engineering and the warfare state.

The secret that the Fabians wanted to bury is that you don't have to support either. And indeed, the only way to be free is to support neither. The warfare/welfare leviathan is a single edifice. You can't support one side of it without ending up with the other.

Are you aware of the Fabian Society? If not, you should look into them.

Basically, they were a bunch of early progressives who realized, quite astutely, that the political state is inherently socialist. All you have to do to end up with total socialism is to gently nudge government along its natural course. You do it by presenting people with a false choice between getting their freedoms taken away chunk by large chunk, or the so-called "lesser evil" of getting them taken away in small chunks. Then, everyone who opposes statism, rather than standing up for their principles, will support the lesser evil - because after all, if you don't support the lesser evil, then you're letting the greater evil win.

Of course, the Fabians were patient. They were perfectly fine with small steps. And eventually, as they predicted, the difference between the lesser and greater evils became such a small margin that it hardly made any difference. That's where we are today. Either you support big government through social engineering and the welfare state, or you support big government through moral engineering and the warfare state.

The secret that the Fabians wanted to bury is that you don't have to support either. And indeed, the only way to be free is to support neither. The warfare/welfare leviathan is a single edifice. You can't support one side of it without ending up with the other.

Did I mention that our current Prime Minister, Julia Gillard is a member of Emily's List? Yeah, we know about the Fabians here.