There was a time when SpaceX was the laughingstock as well. Gwen Shotwell is primarily the reason things didn’t end with Falcon 1. Even when NASA gave SpaceX a shot with commercial cargo and later commercial crew, people were skeptical. And if it weren’t for those contracts, SpaceX doesn’t make it.

Blue Origin had one “failure” so far for suborbital and the vehicle performed exactly the way it should in an emergency.

NASA has learned its lesson about relying on one provider. Imagine if Boeing was the only commercial crew provider, or when the Space Shuttle was supposed to be the only satellite launch provider in the 80s.

It’s great that SpaceX has succeeded - but you know what’s better? Competition and an equally successful Blue Origin.

Omg what right wing dystopia fantasy land do you live in where the government forced and ostracized people who didn’t get the vaccine? The types of mandates people are losing their minds over have existed for decades.

Where is the evidence showing it’s not? I see a lot of political grandstanding and quotes from non reputable sources of someone who knows someone who heard that another someone’s brother totally dropped dead after getting vaccinated. But zero evidence of wide spread side effects from the vaccines.

And just because something is being investigated doesn’t mean there is something there. The CDC noted a trend that could point to an increased risk of stroke in people over 65 and is now going to investigate further.

I believe DeSantis made a huge fanfare about launching an investigation into vaccine side effects. If this investigation finds something worthwhile, by all means hold companies liable or figure out what went wrong. But if it turns up nothing and slowly fades away to a quick footnote of “DeSantis vaccine side effect commission finds nothing” then stop referencing it as “Well why is the government of Florida looking into vaccine side effects!?!?”

I think that was the hardest part of Covid for me. A total loss of faith in humanity. I get that it was confusing and a complicated evolving situation. But I had good friends, people I went to college with, telling me the entire thing was a hoax and made up.

It made me realize that there is zero hope of us solving the other serious problems we are facing like climate change & sea level rise. If we can ignore hundreds of thousands of people dying around us, how are we going to stop something so gradual like sea level rise. The last man in Florida will be standing on his roof as the final wave crests screaming sea level rise is a liberal hoax.

They flat out warned people that if there wasn’t enough uptake on the original vaccine, efficacy would be a problem as further mutations occurred - “We have one shot at this!” was literally the cheesy slogan.

You can question the narrative and did. However, say stupid things, win stupid prizes.

It’s ok to question big business and the government. However in the case of Covid and the vaccines both the CDC, scientists and doctors have shown that the vaccines are safe. There are always going to be edge cases and side effects.

The people doing the questioning now are not doing so in good faith. They are being shown evidence of it not causing harm and will only accept it if they are shown proof that it is.

You have DeSantis today declaring that the vaccines are dangerous and don’t work - Gee big 180 from when he was urging every senior in FL to get the shot & even appeared with a WWII vet to promote the vaccine saying the vaccine will protect you and reduce your risk of getting a serious case.