this post was submitted on 31 Jul 2023
395 points (96.3% liked)

politics

19089 readers
3949 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] OptimusPrimeDownfall@discuss.tchncs.de 195 points 1 year ago (6 children)

This makes sense, from both a manpower and long term stance.

First, Colorado is going to survive climate change much better than Alabama will. Not having to do PT at 2am because that's the only time it's cool enough is kinda nice.

Second, since Alabama keeps rejecting and making things illegal that the majority of Americans want (e.g. Abortion, porn), moving there doesn't make sense for the military. When you have to ship people to other states for medical care, it's better to just build in other states in the first place.

[–] Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world 97 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Not to mention the massive civilian/contractor force that supports it. That’s a bunch of highly educated people that probably don’t want to live in Alabama either.

[–] WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.world 33 points 1 year ago (5 children)

You’ve never been to Huntsville. Alabama has a surprisingly large number or rocket scientists living there.

[–] SheeEttin@lemmy.world 77 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, but you're still in Alabama.

[–] WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Luckily, I’m not. But I did find Huntsville to be surprising—both for the beautiful landscape and clear uptick in IQ points compared to the rest of the state. Great German food—bet you can’t guess why.

As the story goes, the ex-nazi scientists that the US brought in to work on rockets were first stationed in Houston, but they all hated the heat. They requested a transfer to Huntsville because the landscape was similar to the German countryside.

And that is how the US government allowed nazis to decide the primary location for NASA rocket research, which also happened to be in the same state as the headquarters for the KKK. Clearly, nothing could go wrong.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago
[–] RichardBonham@kbin.social 41 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yes, and Huntsville is very pleasant itself because of this. But they all assure me that you have only to drive a half hour out of Huntsville to know for certain that you are in Alabama. (The thank-god-for-Mississippi Alabama, that Alabama).

This is going to matter to some aerospace engineers and particularly the ones with spouses and children.

[–] hittheskids@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

I grew up in Alabama but live in Colorado now. If I were forced to live somewhere in Alabama, Huntsville would be at/near the top of my list. But it's still Alabama, and I'd still waaay rather live in Colorado. It obviously doesn't keep everyone away, and there's a lot of inertia there with all the existing space/rocket/defense industry in Huntsville. But is Space Command even going to be hiring heavily in the engineering fields that are concentrated in Huntsville? (That's a real question- I'd guess they're not hiring primarily engineers that they'd find in Huntsville, but I don't know.)

[–] marmo7ade@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

I don't need to go to Huntsville to read the legislation being passed in that shit hole state.

[–] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Historically fo sho.

I wonder how long that'll remain. If you consider, the vast majority of that development @ Huntsville is legacy support or done. New rockets are coming from private companies / conglomerates, sure, Huntsville built the saturn 5, but they aren't building SpaceX or Lockheed or Rocketjet Aerodyne's babies.

IMHO, Huntsville was awesome, but it's time as a giant NASA player is over. We can get rockets elsewhere.

[–] WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

They’ve been transitioning that brainpower into other types of government work up there. The FBI recently opened a large office, and there is still a lot of military development that is going on, even if the space program has wound down.

They still have a rocket on every corner and every school is named after an astronaut though, so it is clearly a deep part of the local culture. Even the baseball team (the trash pandas) has a logo of a raccoon riding a trash can rocket.

[–] dishpanman@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago

Aerojet moved their operations from Sacramento to Huntsville. Blue Origin is moving their manufacturing of their BE-4 engines for New Glenn and Vulcan from Kent to Huntsville. Saying that Huntsville is no longer a major aerospace hub for private companies is off the mark.

[–] PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't think anybody wants to live in Alabama.

[–] WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I’ve found that most of the Alabama residents I’ve met are somewhat afraid of other (especially non southern) states and they couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

[–] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Plus AFAIK the stargate is still in NORAD so it makes sense to keep them close

[–] Letstakealook@lemm.ee 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They actually have a janitor closet labeled "Stargate Command" inside Chyanne Mountain, lol.

[–] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] evatronic@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)
[–] Crismus@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I just really noticed how mild and wet this summer has been in Colorado Springs. As expensive as it is to live here, we're not roasting to death like the Southeast.

Plus we keep getting all of the regional fast food in one location.

[–] fireweed@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It used to be that summer afternoons on the Front Range of Colorado frequently featured thunderstorms, but then a long-term drought took hold, the summer storms became much rarer, and Colorado became frighteningly dry for approximately the first two decades of the 21st century. Yes this has been a wet year, and a welcome return to the old normal, but will that persist in the face of climate change or are we just seeing a brief respite before the "new normal" of warmer, drier weather returns? Plus many areas along the Front Range are depleting their aquifers at an unsustainable rate, drought or not.

[–] spongebue@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

According to the people on my local (Colorado) Nextdoor, our water company should drop their new drought fee because this year has been pretty wet 🙄

[–] DrMux@kbin.social 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Colorado is going to survive climate change much better than Alabama will.

Well, in some ways. Colorado is already subject to serious drought and water shortage issues; dramatically increased number of/size of/damage from wildfires; temps in excess of 105°f just like, it seems, everywhere else (though CO Springs is higher and cooler than the worst-affected areas of the state, temperature-wise); etc.

Currently in CO Springs it is only 2 degrees (F) cooler than in Huntsville, AL. Humidity is only ~10 pts difference - otherwise yeah I'd say it's more uncomfortable in AL. Though this is only a snapshot.

I digress.

Point is climate change is affecting (present tense, not future) different areas differently.

You're absolutely right about the social aspect tho.

[–] YoBuckStopsHere@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

The Western Slope is at risk of a climate disaster but the Front Range should be okay.

Plus Colorado is closer to space, so the commute is shorter.

[–] Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

At the same time, couldn't army bases be used to provide medical services on federal land to people who don't have access to it because of state laws?

Asking as a Canadian, so please enlighten me people!

[–] Letstakealook@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

People who don't have any affiliation with the base typically aren't allowed on most bases, most of the time. The medical facilities on bases are for service members and their covered spouse/dependents. Even civilian employees generally can't receive care on base unless they are going to die if they don't receive it immediately.

I think service members and their families would be able to receive care that might be locally outlawed, but federally legal. Everyone else affiliated with the base would be SOL.