Rocketry: An Unexpected Sign of Progress

[beamjockey]

I was reading "New Launch Hoops," an article by Amy Butler in Aviation Week's 17 October 2011 issue. I quote:
The three U.S. agencies responsible for purchasing launches of government payloads into space are agreeing on long-awaited criteria that for the first time pave the way for new rocket companies to penetrate a national security launch

Comments

[derekl1963]

So long as the sex of the person occupying the office is a matter to be pointed out - there's no reason at all to be proud. In fact, it's evidence of lack of progress.

[netmouse]

I disagree. I don't think self-awareness is evidence of lack of progress. We do still have a Looong way to go, though, if equal opportunity across genders is what we're aiming for. And there's definite backsliding right now in both youth and conservative culture.

[beamjockey]

In a world where people are constantly counting the number of females in the tables-of-contents of anthologies, I thought it might be a cheerful thing to point this out. I wish I could have relieved your grumpiness, but apparently that was not meant to be.

[derekl1963]

I don't see that counting women in offices is any different than counting them in tables of contents.

I'm not grumpy, I just don't believe that judging whether each jar of beans contains the 'right' number of the 'right' qualities (sex, color, whatever) is a positive step towards judging people as individuals. I believe that is has the opposite effect, it enhances the focus on the ticky box rather than on the individual.

[samildanach]

So by the same token, if the preponderance of senior scientists and officers in aerospace were male, that would also be insignificant?

[kgbooklog]

Progress is the journey, not the destination.