The point I was making is that in order for commercial space flight to be successful, it has to be as safe as reasonably possible.
BTW, I spent a year in Iraq and had didn't leave my job after my COB was rocketed and mortared (other contractors did), so I think I've adequately proven my bravery.

Isn't that the best kind of maniac? Seriously, it takes someone of Herculean audacity to break into an entrenched market. SpaceX doesn't have hundreds of retired, formerly high-ranking military officers and former civilian employees of NASA to provide contacts, business intelligence, and influence. They may have lobbyists and "influence" over politicians, but definitely not to the same degree as the names you mentioned.

Would you be willing to take a commercial air flight if the failure rate was 25%? 15%? 5%? How many pilots would fly with those failure rates? How many companies would send expensive cargoes with those failure rates?

Yes, they'll have a lot of volunteers, but how many of those volunteers will have the necessary physical capabilities and specialized skills? Those that do will be too valuable to risk unnecessarily. Besides, where can we put a colony? There simply isn't anyplace that compelling.

I lived in Aomori prefecture for a while last year. There are very few Westerners in the western half of that prefecture. One gentleman nearly drove off the road when he saw me. Apparently very few Americans venture west of Misawa Air Base.
7 Eleven? I don't recall seeing any of those in Aomori-ken, but Lawson Station is awesome!

Perhaps you should strike out on your own and freelance?
[Crickets]
I didn't think so.

Yes, Klingons are wary. With sneaky, dishonorable Romulans and the annoying Federation as neighbors, of course they are wary, and yes, they are aggressive and violent.
Of course they are fictional too, but I was trying to use humor to make a point. What's Klingon for "whoosh"?

To clarify my previous post - I meant "stereotyping Klingons that way" to mean stereotyping them as violent, not as black.

You're the racist, stereotyping Klingons that way, you Federation petaQ! [raises bat'leth]

War is either always coming, happening, or just ended.

There, I fixed it for you.