Should we be wary of celebrating the moon landings given it was white and male?

SharpshooterTom · 20-07-2019 10:57pm #1

Well, um, according to both the New York Times and the Washington Post we should:

https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1151494027809886213
https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1151170151427006464
Look they're not wrong obviously, in the context of the times attitudes were different then and I'm sure we'd approach things differently today, but my God lighten up ffs. Are there some people who have to look everything through the prism of identity politics?

The US and the world made great strides in both technological advancements with the apollo moon landings and social justice with Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights, no one was saying life was perfect then, but there's so many miserable people out there and who can't help but find faults in everything.

Gimme A Pound · 20-07-2019 10:58pm

People in the West really seem to strive to find problems.

20-07-2019 11:04pm

Why don't we rewrite history while we're at it. Ridiculous.

Psychlops · 20-07-2019 11:06pm

Cop on.

Standard Toaster · 20-07-2019 11:07pm

Yeap, annnnnnd whitey didn't dare visit the dark side of the moon, only the light side. Too right.

the dark phantom · 20-07-2019 11:09pm

Soviet Union put females and minorities into space.

mad muffin · 20-07-2019 11:11pm

No small thanks to the nazis and Hitler…

igCorcaigh · 20-07-2019 11:13pm

What an awkward framing of the question op.

It is very right that we recognise both the prejudices of the past and where we are today in terms of creating a more equal society.

Listen to any history of science and technology, there will be stories of great thinkers who were alienated from the institutions of the day.

It's more a recognition of how far we have come, and how much further we must go to ensure that all human ingenuity can contribute to our society.

Tipperary animal lover · 20-07-2019 11:14pm

Christ I'm pisst atm and even i chuckled at this .... feck off will ya tis a sat night life is sh*te enough, can we be saved from the younger generation and all the grand standing they bring...... get me another can Cheers and yip I'm a typical irish person who likes a drink on a sat night.... now feck off with this childish behavior because life is tough once ya grow a pair of balls ..... stop all this shi*te cos he's black cos he's gay cos he's white, history is history, make your own and be proud of it .... buuurp

Seamai · 20-07-2019 11:15pm

the dark phantom wrote: »

Soviet Union put females and minorities into space.

But American kids never got told any of that in school, my better half never heard on Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova until he moved to Ireland.

Standard Toaster · 20-07-2019 11:15pm

Generation Snowflake.

old_aussie · 20-07-2019 11:16pm

Should we be wary of celebrating the moon landings given it was white and male?

Some people are desperate to be racist!!!!!!!!

Harry Palmr · 20-07-2019 11:16pm

Is there nothing white men can't do?! :mad:

If only Nasa had been thinking about 50 years hence instead of getting on with the job in hand we'd have to pick different holes in a great achievement.

Kermit.de.frog · 20-07-2019 11:17pm

Oh ffs.

Can't we celebrate anything nowadays without all this "woke" stuff?

old_aussie · 20-07-2019 11:17pm

Seamai wrote: »

But American kids never got told any of that in school, my better have never heard on Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova until he moved to Ireland.

So?, another uneducated person!

meeeeh · 20-07-2019 11:18pm

the dark phantom wrote: »

Soviet Union put females and minorities into space.

And animals... the most inclusive death ever.

greencap · 20-07-2019 11:18pm

Gimme A Pound wrote: »

People in the West really seem to strive to find problems.

For commercial reasons.

There was a time it was genuine, now its done for clicks.

'Man fired for not wearing skirt' type stories are now just another tactic for slow news days.

Its cheap irresponsible journalism.

Zaph · 20-07-2019 11:19pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Is there nothing white men can't do?! :mad:

Jump

igCorcaigh · 20-07-2019 11:19pm

the dark phantom wrote: »

Soviet Union put females and minorities into space.

The Soviet Union had this very controversial idea, that no matter what your background, identify or heritage, you can work towards the future of your society. Incendiary stuff.

mad muffin · 20-07-2019 11:20pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Is there nothing white men can't do?! :mad:

If only Nasa had been thinking about 50 years hence instead of getting on with the job in hand we'd have to pick different holes in a great achievement.

Jump apparently.

meeeeh · 20-07-2019 11:21pm

igCorcaigh wrote: »

The Soviet Union had this very controversial idea, that no matter what your background, identify or heritage, you can work towards the future of your society. Incendiary stuff.

As long as you believe in communism, don't step out of line, don't challenge authority...

fly_agaric · 20-07-2019 11:22pm

Ha, I thought they were parody tweets. The country seems to be slowly burning down around their ears over the last 10-15 years, but this is what US "news" media focus on.

I'd say NASA in 2019 have as much chance of replicating a project like that (let alone sending humans to Mars) as, well, Ireland has of putting a cis/trans man or woman into space!

Perhaps the media should be worrying about that evidence of decline instead of fretting over the gonads (edit: and skin melanin levels) of their space scientists and engineers.

igCorcaigh · 20-07-2019 11:23pm

meeeeh wrote: »

As long as you believe in communism, don't step out of line, challenge authority...

That was also going on of course.
But compared to the rest of the world, which would not be so democratic to our standards today, they made amazing improvements.

Ipso · 20-07-2019 11:25pm

The banality of progressivism.

Ipso · 20-07-2019 11:27pm

igCorcaigh wrote: »

the dark phantom wrote: »

Soviet Union put females and minorities into space.

The Soviet Union had this very controversial idea, that no matter what your background, identify or heritage, you can work towards the future of your society. Incendiary stuff.

It really was swell.

SharpshooterTom · 20-07-2019 11:27pm

igCorcaigh wrote: »

What an awkward framing of the question op.

It is very right that we recognise both the prejudices of the past and where we are today in terms of creating a more equal society.

No one's disputing that, I made references in the right to recognising to social equality in future achievements.

But in the context of those times we know attitudes were different then, no one is celebrating it for being white and male I don't think are they?

The US was nearly 90% non-hispanic white back in 1969, today its 60% and declining, the country is far more diverse now. Of course it was going to be overwhelmingly white then.

But why the need to make a point of it? Most of us are aware the social attitudes are completely different then and wouldn't be acceptable now, but we're celebrating the achievements in spite of those social attitudes.

meeeeh · 20-07-2019 11:27pm

igCorcaigh wrote: »

That was also going on of course.
But compared to the rest of the world, which would not be so democratic to our standards today, they made amazing improvements.

I grew up in a country with similar ideas. There are definitely certain advantages and progress was made but a lot of it was either for show or out of economic necessity.

Gimme A Pound · 20-07-2019 11:27pm

Psychlops wrote: »

Cop on.

I don't think the OP agrees, but yeah, the stories - not worth giving oxygen to.

BuboBubo · 20-07-2019 11:30pm

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Oh ffs.

Can't we celebrate anything nowadays without all this "woke" stuff?

It's hard to celebrate when you're asleep I suppose.

The world is fcuked

SharpshooterTom · 20-07-2019 11:30pm

Gimme A Pound wrote: »

I don't think the OP agrees, but yeah, the stories - not worth giving oxygen to.

I wouldn't normally, if it was from second rate news outlet no one's ever heard of it. But its the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Harry Palmr · 20-07-2019 11:34pm

Anyone been watching Chasing the Moon? Kennedy Admin wanted a black astronaut but although they found a man - Ed Dwight who fitted the bill in terms of his qualities Chuck Yeager, who was in charge of the pilot training programme turned out to be a racist ****wit so he got the bums rush and was eventually edged out of the final list of astronauts in 1965.

Your Face · 20-07-2019 11:41pm

I always wondered what would happened if 'white people' would get sick of this sort of thing.

Like really sick of it.

NIMAN · 20-07-2019 11:45pm

The thread title not so daft, heard a reporter on the news tonight say, "2 men set foot on the moon, and it was all men who travelled to the moon".

Thought it was trying too hard to be PC.

Autecher · 20-07-2019 11:49pm

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Oh ffs.

Can't we celebrate anything nowadays without all this "woke" stuff?

It sounds like you need to check your privilege Kermit.

Ipso · 20-07-2019 11:50pm

igCorcaigh wrote: »

meeeeh wrote: »

As long as you believe in communism, don't step out of line, challenge authority...

That was also going on of course.
But compared to the rest of the world, which would not be so democratic to our standards today, they made amazing improvements.

Grade A turd polishing.

iguana · 20-07-2019 11:52pm

On a related note, a few days ago I was looking to see if there was a release date for season 3 of Search Party. An article I found had a review of the previous seasons which said that the characters were all self obsessed as a result of their white privilege. An especially odd observation when neither the lead actor, Alia Shawcat, nor her character Dory Sief are white.

The Rape of Lucretia · 20-07-2019 11:54pm

Those twitters are shockingly racist and sexist, and both newspapers should be ashamed of themselves. People went to the moon. Other people down on earth built the stuff for them to do it, and other people in command centres helped them through it.
And the writers of those articles cant see beyond the colour and sex of those involved. Leading edge in the technological marvel that the landings were, the USA is still so backward in many ways.

Richard Hillman · 21-07-2019 12:01am

Where were the trans/non binary representatives in the moon landing? #YesEquality

Hobosan · 21-07-2019 12:22am

Those headlines are inaccurate. Buzz told me, in confidence, that he identifies as a black woman.

dd973 · 21-07-2019 12:30am

Identity politics, there to keep everyone bickering while the same old **** hoard all the money.

Gimme A Pound · 21-07-2019 12:31am

Second comes right after first.

Capt'n Midnight · 21-07-2019 12:42am

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Anyone been watching Chasing the Moon? Kennedy Admin wanted a black astronaut but although they found a man - Ed Dwight who fitted the bill in terms of his qualities Chuck Yeager, who was in charge of the pilot training programme turned out to be a racist ****wit so he got the bums rush and was eventually edged out of the final list of astronauts in 1965.

For a similar story look at Men of Honour

1960's America. The space race was a frontline in the cold war. The risks were real. Two Saturn V's had engine problems and there was the whole Apollo 13 thing.

Like the apocryphal
Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.

fitriv uyda · 21-07-2019 12:58am

it was a small step for a man, but the women might have needed a step-ladder...

1o059k7ewrqj3n · 21-07-2019 2:02am

No women on D-Day either, shocking lack of representation.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 21-07-2019 2:06am

What utter and complete horseshït. Hitler was a white man as were the entire third reich, are they going to express the same sentiment in regard to them? No of course they’re not.

Some journalist wanker with little else to do drummed up a pathetic effortless article to beat a deadline and we end up with this nonsense.

I sincerely hope that in 20/30 years time people will look back on our generation with the same disdain we do of the snowflake generation and ask how the fück did people become so spineless as to alloy this constant pandering to everyone and anyone that expressed an opinion that wasn’t Main stream. It’s utter bull shīt and will be the ruination of mankind if allowed to continue.

Beanntraigheach · 21-07-2019 2:10am

Actually it wouldn't be a bad idea to send a team of women to the Moon next.

The men left a bit of a mess behind them that badly needs cleaning up.

Kermit.de.frog · 21-07-2019 2:15am

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

It’s utter bull shīt and will be the ruination of mankind if allowed to continue.

This.

All this stuff may seem harmless on first look but the reality is a generation is literally been dragged up that it seems to me, in general, are hopelessly unequipped to deal with the realities of the real world.

A generation of panzies that couldn't wire a plug or cook a meal or go 5 minutes without their phone or understand how to cope with rejection would make you dispair alright.

Not everyone of course but an increasingly sizable part of the population is falling in to this category. Hopeless.

When a real global emergency happens what are these people going to do?

Random but for example if a solar flare erupts from the sun and knocks out electricity for at least 10 years (which could happen any time, in the next 5 minutes, or 5 years....)... The point is an increasing chunk of the population are lacking the most basic skills our grandparents would have had for example.

One eyed Jack · 21-07-2019 2:16am

From the Washington Post article -

More often, women were employed as secretaries. Before email, correspondence had to be typed by someone, and with multiple carbon copies.

“Everything was written as if in a foreign language,” says Barbara Higginbotham Ogle, a secretary and the 1,000th employee to be hired in 1966 for $5.44 an hour by Douglas Aircraft Co. in Florida. (It became McDonnell Douglas the following year). Her skills: typing at 71 cwpm (correct words per minute) and shorthand at 140 words a minute “It was a steep learning curve,” she says. “Typing orders for managers, we had to be perfect. No Wite-Out. When you were preparing for a launch, there was an endless amount of paper coming in.”

What an unfortunate double-barrel name :pac:

sabat · 21-07-2019 2:19am

Well I did learn one new fact from all the discussions around this topic today and that is that Buzz Aldrin was the first man to take a piss on the moon. I wonder if he held it in specially...

One eyed Jack · 21-07-2019 2:25am

sabat wrote: »

Well I did learn one new fact from all the discussions around this topic today and that is that Buzz Aldrin was the first man to take a piss on the moon. I wonder if he held it in specially...

It’s not like they could stop along the way and let him out to take a piss

kowloon · 21-07-2019 2:54am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6xJzAYYrX8

Should we be wary of celebrating the moon landings given it was white and male?

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