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June 2001 Poll #2
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June 2001 Poll #1
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Do you think the Aurora exists?
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Yes
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78%
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No
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9%
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Unsure
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14%
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Total votes: 58
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Should the US sell advanced weapons to Taiwan?
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Yes
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56%
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No
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39%
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Undecided
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6%
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Total votes: 54
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Comment: It will be most interesting if we ever find out what the Aurora really was or is--a top
secret spy plane, a prototype that never entered service, a ploy to fool the Soviets, or just another one
of those "bureaucratic snafus" we've become so accustomed to.
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Comment: Since Taiwan has shown a strong commitment to democracy and is constantly being threatened
by China, it would seem to be the duty of all other world democracies to assist in Taiwan's defense.
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May 2001 Poll #2
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May 2001 Poll #1
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Boeing recently abandoned its 747X, intended to compete with the Airbus A380, in favor of the high-speed Sonic Cruiser. Whose strategy will be more successful?
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Airbus
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46%
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Boeing
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54%
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Total votes: 52
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Do you think that Dennis Tito is a space tourism pioneer or just a selfish millionaire?
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Pioneer
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61%
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Selfish
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31%
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No opinion
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8%
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Total votes: 62
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Comment: Although not the first battle for dominance between Airbus and Boeing, this one promises to
be a fascinating drama over the next decade. Will size win over speed, as did Boeing's 747 against the
Concorde in the early 1970s, or has the market
shifted? Economics, technology, and politics will all be key in determining how successful these projects
become.
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Comment: This one's a bit of a toss-up for us here. While Tito did a lousy job of public relations
and looked like a spoiled rich kid, we love anyone who shakes up bureaucracies. And if there's any
bureaucracy that needs shaking up, it's NASA!
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April 2001 Poll #2
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April 2001 Poll #1
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Should China return the downed EP-3 Aries aircraft to the US?
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Yes
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69%
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No
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31%
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Unsure
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0%
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Total votes: 147
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Should the US aplogize for the spyplane incident?
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Yes
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34%
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No
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63%
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Unsure
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4%
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Total votes: 56
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Comment: While returing the aircraft would certainly improve US-Chinese relations, there is no
reason China should return the plane under international law. Since the US refused to return Soviet
military equipment under similar circumstances, China unfortunately has the right to extract every ounce of
information out of that plane that they can.
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Comment: Whether or not the US really apologized is a matter of debate, but the Chinese got enough
of what they wanted to release the EP-3E crew, and that had to be the most important goal in the end.
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