News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling by chc on Wednesday September 24, 2014 @06:18PM (#8364496)
This is pure ad hominem. "The West is dumb and mean" doesn't make anybody else's actions smart. You may as well criticize their odor for all the relevance it has to whether or not this is a sensible use of India's money.

For the record, I actually think it's probably a good use of money. I just think this breed of response — "Shut up, because the West sucks!" — is singularly toxic.

Re:Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling by primelens on Wednesday September 24, 2014 @06:55PM (#8364625)
You misunderstand my argument if you read it as "the West is dumb and mean". What I meant to emphasize was that the West made the (IMHO right) decision, to spend on research etc while it was working on other social problems. It is never one or the other. But I would add the same model should be extended to other countries as well.
Re:Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling by manish_gill on Wednesday September 24, 2014 @06:32PM (#8364543)
The article in question specifically criticizes the journalists. The author (in subsequent comments) even discourages others from blatantly generalizing countries' reaction in the same manner as some of the components of the media.
Re:Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling by chc on Wednesday September 24, 2014 @06:46PM (#8364593)
The OP doesn't really do that. The article linked by pushtheenvelope does, but that is what I was criticizing. It doesn't actually support India's program; it mostly just makes sarcastic and hostile comments about other countries. Regardless of your opinion of the West or of India, personally attacking critics (based on their ethnicity, no less) is not the same thing as supporting an idea.