m. c. de marco: To invent new life and new civilizations...

Buying Belgium

Via Angel Station: One Giant Leap to Nowhere, a depressing New York Times editorial by Tom Wolfe about the unexpected premature end of the space age forty years ago. It’s full of tempting quotes about unemployed rocket scientists and superpower single combat, but instead I’ll just quote the filk it reminded me of:

And when the king learned that she’d pawned all her gems
There were many fine curses he hurled
“Just think of the armies that we have to rent,
Preserving our borders from France’s intent!
Why we could have bought Belgium for what you just spent
And threw over the edge of the world.”

Queen Isabella where are you today?
The New Chris Columbus is wasting away.
The same game is waiting, but no one will play
Queen Isabelle where are you now?