Cyrus Epler

Sorry about the avatar, but it looks like me, only a bit better. 

I am a libertarian. I have been a programmer (COBOL! that probably dates me) and a machinist and a meteorologist. I am a Navy submarine veteran of the Cold War. (Go figure, I served in the military in just about the only time after the Korean War where I didn’t get a college education out of the deal!)  

I have been interested in economics, history, science and technology. In 1979,  I read Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill’s The High Frontier and have been a die hard advocate of moving into space ever since.  

I am also a techno-optimist. We are truly on the verge of doind great things that could make the 2020’s an amazing decade – or we could screw it up and spawn some techno-hellscape or blow ourselves out of existence. As I said, I lean towards optimism but people are capable of doing incredibly stupid things or even evil things, often with the best of intentions. I am pulling for optimism.

One of the things I see a lot of, is the rise of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt). Success is a possible outcome, and I want to help make it so. I will do my best to argue against it.

Another thing I see is a rise in authoritarianism and I prefer freedom and will be willing to fight for that, too.