NASA and the Last Fig Leaf of Big Government
by Brian GarstWe landed on the moon over two generations ago, and ever since NASA has been used as intellectual support for those who think we can solve any problem with a wave of the legislative or regulatory wand. “If government can put a man on the moon,” goes statist conventional wisdom, “it can do anything.” If you’ve ever been in a debate with a true believer in the magic of big government, you’ve probably heard some variation of this generic argument.
Despite the significant flaws in this logic, it was always difficult to convince the general public just why it was wrong. Now, with the ridiculous admission of NASA Administrator Charles Bolden that the so-called space agency’s priority is to boost Muslim self-esteem, this last fig leaf of big government has finally been removed. Believers in grand government solutions to all social problems are left naked for all to see.
The comment itself isn’t really the big story. Yes, it’s outrageous. It represents everything that is wrong with the PC-obsessed, America-bashing, leftist administration currently occupying the White House. But it’s merely the latest in a lengthy list of NASA disappointments. The real story is the slow, drawn-out transformation of NASA from a symbol of American exceptionalism into a national embarrassment.
Given the dramatic and iconic bang with which NASA introduced itself to the public, it’s easy to overlook that it’s a government bureaucracy just like any other. It suffers from all the typical failings of government institutions. Without market pressures, NASA has grown increasingly wasteful. A recent GOA report found that 9 out of 10 assessed projects experienced cost overruns and delays. That’s almost a perfect score in inefficiency.
The idea that NASA ought to concern itself, and much less as a top priority, with the self-esteem of Muslims is another example of the type of problems inherent in government bureaucracies. Specifically in this case, it’s mission creep. Unlike most private institutions (how sad is it that this statement now requires a qualifier at all?), public bureaucracies stay afloat by convincing politicians to continue allocating budgetary funds. The greater the number of “problems” an organization attempts to address, the greater pool of political money available. So rather than just concerning itself with space travel, NASA must make itself useful by finding other issues of interest to politicians. And it almost goes without saying that politicians are motivated primarily by political concerns like satisfying special interests and garnering votes. Their misguided priorities will eventually overwhelm any organization that relies on them for funding.
So what happened to this once successful agency? The truth is NASA just got lucky the first time, and reality has finally caught up. An unusual national focus on a single goal was able to overcome bureaucratic roadblocks and produce magnificent results. But determination and a nation focused on a common goal can only mask systemic problems in the short run. In the long run, government is simply wasteful and ineffective. No agency can hide for any considerable length of time from the systemic faults of centralized, top-down control. Eventually, the lack of competitive pressure will result in complacency. Innovation is slowly but surely replaced with an attitude aimed at maintaining the status quo. No matter the lofty goals behind an organization’s creation, soon it becomes that the only goal that matters is maintaining or expanding funding for the next fiscal year.
Believers in the power of government have long seen NASA as a model for what government can do. And I have to agree with them; it is a model. It’s just one which they fail to interpret correctly. Yes, NASA placed a man on the moon. It’s also squandered hundreds of billions of dollars since, with little more than a half completed space station and a crumbling shuttle fleet to show for it. It’s time to put this dying federal agency to rest, and unleash instead the creative power of the private sector.
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108 Comments
If NASA can put a man on the moon, there is no reason that they cannot successfully extend an olive branch to our Muslim brethern…………..
With a muslim or at least someone very very inclined toward muslim causes as president, and with the anti-American/liberal/Progressive/RiNO/Fools in charge in Washington, does this surprise anyone that NASA would be looking to further ties with muslim nations so that their rocket programs can progress quicker?
"The real story is the slow, drawn-out transformation of NASA from a symbol of American exceptionalism into a national embarrassment."
-Precisely as planned and executed by our Apologist-in-Chief.
Don't forget that Obama will be the first president since Truman to leave office without there being a manned space program either in operation or in development. Every president since Eisenhower has promoted manned space flight. Even Jimmah Carter, though no flights took place in his administration, the shuttle program was nearing operation (first launched in 1981 under Reagan).
This is no accident. Obama HATES the idea of American Exceptionalism, and nothing symbolizes that more than our manned space program. Bush planned for us to go back to the moon permanently and on to Mars, which would again have reminded the world of the technological superiority of Americans, and, well, we can't have that.
And given the "new mission" of NASA to reach out to a bunch of 7th century barbarians hints strongly of the influence Obama's self admitted "muslim roots" plays in his dislike of American Exceptionalism.
I dont' think technology or rockets can solve the social problems of a society hell bent on never evolving past the dark ages of the 7th century.
Kind of like how the Clintons, with their extensive ties to the ChiComs aided their rocket programs?
Yeah, makes sense. Next thing you know Iran will be building Saturn V's while the EPA prevents any American companies from building them…
President Obama's new NASA czar will lead a new goal of landing men on the SUN – luckily, the president is wise to make this journey at NIGHT – when it's not so hot – deets are at:
http://spnheadlines.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-czar...
Peace!
What a shame. A once respectable agency falls. I'm now cutting up and turning in my astronaut card.
Obummer ought to sell NASA to Virgin and let Sir Richard run the show. It would be a lean, clean, flying machine.
To Infinity and beyond!
Muslim outreach my arse….can there be a bigger joke?
"It’s time to put this dying federal agency to rest, and unleash instead the creative power of the private sector."
It will be fascinating to see the private sector contrive a motivating goal to go back to the moon, and in the process, snap a few photos of the residual signs of NASA's previous arrival – the lunar landing module base, flag, lunar rover, tracks and footprints etc.. Put the moonlanding hoax controversy to bed in the process….. as if they couldn't already do that with space telescopes….
Ahhhhh! But Wildcat, rockets could deliver the *cure* for them.
Bwaaaahahahahahahahahahaha!
You know, the Japanese have been quietly mapping the entire surface of the moon with a low orbit satellite for some time now. I think it was to be a three year mission and when complete would provide a three dimensional topographic map with HD resolution. I think that the advertizement was on the Science channel.
Oh, now I see where the moooslims come in- THEY will be the astronauts on this mission. Good thinking!
Live long and prosper.
Or deliver an Iranian nuke anywhere in the world.
Of course, I've believed since 9/11 that our official policy stance concerning a WMD attack on America by muslims is that we give 48 hours notice to evacuate Mecca before nuking it in retaliation.
You're definitely on to something here. The terrain camera on board supposedly had a resolution of 10 meters per pixel, which is not helpful in this sense, but "Two 2.2 megapixel CCD HDTV cameras, one wide-angle and one telephoto, were also on board primarily for public relations purposes."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SELENE
For those with a problem reading tonal infliection, the first comment was sarcasm………..
Freedom and individual liberty are the true forces behind innovation.
All the green goals of the left, I believe, may have come true decades ago, if they left the innovators some freedom and money.
NASA was a sea of innovation. Now it’s just another mind pool socialists have turned into a swamp.
Why isn't that an excellent idea? Didn't the Rooskies send a chimpanzee to space in Sputnik?
NASA is a joke…and it quite ironic because in all likehood, the next real advance in energy technology will come from space exploration (manned or not) -not from Obama blowing wind…
Obama the mediocre is at it again. His superior intelligence shines as bright as the sun. I'M BLINDED!!!
I think there is a motive behind Obamas maddness in dismantling NASA.
I think he fully intends to send Tony Haywood to space, and relocate BP to the moon. He'll let them drill there and perfect their new technology…………..
Obama The Mediocre?
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!
Screw the 48 hours, let it be a big surprise to them.
You are correct my friend.
NASA is a cesspool. A fetid swamp of brackish ideas.
Who came up with that dumb rule? Let me guess….the same numbskulls that flew the bin laughing family safely back to saudiland right after the attack. Oooops
What a cynical piece, not saying the author is wrong, but since I am admittedly ignorant on the subject
of NASA's slow mission creep, I refuse to believe, yet, that we must give up on this agency that has given
the USA so much technology and innovation.
Who in private industry will jump in this seat? Maybe GE? The price would be too high now, but with the
degradation that will occur due to this NEW mission, I'm sure NASA's value will decrease, exponentially,
perhaps to the point of affordability for 'friends of o'. If Soros can buy NASA's technology, part it out, as if it
were a salvage vehicle, perhaps there is money in the transaction for him.
My mind reels from attempting to evaluate our loss.
The majority of the countries in the world do not have a space exploration program or capabilities. So for Obama's "global socialism, equal justice, everybody the same plan" we have to scale back our innovation so that other countries don't feel bad about themselves.
or.. maybe Soros owns controlling interest in another program in some other country that will stand to benefit from NASA not being the leader anymore…. hmmmm…
Well, ya…..but I think that they wanted the chimpanzee to come back alive…..
This, on the other hand, allows a spaceship full of mooslims with a burning passion for their 72 virgins to make their dreams come true.
Questions from Al Jazerra of Barry’s NASA administrator: “If Akmed slings a camel turd across the Euphrates river at noon, can the same velocity be used to launch rockets into space…what say you NASA administrator?”
With all of the technology available at NASA you would think that they could create a device that would allow Chairman O to get through the day without using a teleprompter…?
It's gotta be rough in bed at the white house with all of that head turning from left to right just to get a few "ooh baby's" or "who's your daddy's" out with any emotional sincerity…
That sarcasm went right over my head. I really thought that the Miltary-Industrial Complex had come up with a new weapon system called "Olive Branch". Sorry, I'll pull my head out and pay closer attention…..
Now THAT, was funny.
Although I won't touch the last line as I'm guaranteed to piss someone off…………..
Glenn Beck is right on the money when he pointed out that Muslims are perfectly aware of their own history. Since there is no need for NASA to "remind" them, there has to be another motive for this move by Obama.
Putting NASA down would not alone unleash the private sector.
We need to de-regulate space travel. That is, we need to remove the Federal Aviation law requirements space vehicle systems are saddled with.
Why do flying cars need airbags? Why do space shuttles need aircraft avoidance systems (they should have clear airspace). Why is there safety precautions on un-manned missiles? Government interference is making private space travelers troubled. If it takes $5-$10 million dollars worth of materials to launch a person to orbit (and it does), then there are thousands of Americans who could do this. But first the Government needs to mind its own business.
I propose a simple solution: Once a person is in space, they are immune from ALL of Earth's laws, taxes, and regulations.
The first space colonists should make their own laws and taxes.
Aww c'mon CL, piss 'em off!
He did come back alive.
He's now in the White House.
Wonderful, just wonderful. Let's help Muslims "feel good about their historic contributions in science and math and engineering."
This policy sounds like something that was dreamed up by a bureaucrat from the Department of Education.
Let's improve the useful concept of "participation awards" by extending them to non-participants!
I grew up on the Space Coast. I used to be proud of NASA since it was such a big influence on my community.
Now I just want to cry as I see how far it's fallen.
Why do we need a space organization that wants to focus of foreign affairs? If they can’t figure out why they were hired and what they are supposed to be working on then they need to be fired and replaced.
NASA has been floundering for decades. This was simply the last gasp.
Obama believes in American exceptionalism the way he believes in Greek exceptionalism. And look at Greece!
They actually snapped some photos with the Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter about a year back. Hubble wouldn't be able to though… it'd be like using binoculars to stare at something 2 feet away.
I was afraid when Obama started killing Bush's "Vision for Space Exploration" that it was going to be the last straw for NASA before it completely fell into a swamp of aimless wandering and political infighting. NASAs glory days were Apollo, and they managed to coast on Apollo for 40 years. A friend of mine was more hopeful; he thought that maybe what Obama was doing was meant to take NASA in a new direction, away from Apollo. Judging by this idiot propaganda, it looks like my original assessment was correct after all.
Physics and the engineering of space travel is outright SIMPLE compared to laying the foundations of a free, prosperous and stable society. That's why the American experiment is such an astounding acheivement: in the 40,000 years of human civilization preceeding it, the rule of the headman or the tribal leader(s) was the norm. But these men, the Founders, instituted a set of priniciples that gave individuals sovereign control over their lives, so long as their actions were consistent with the equal liberty of their fellow citizens.
Standing on the moon is an impressive feat, but freeing humanity from collectivism was a gift for the ages.
I think Rahm is involved in in your post in more ways than one!!
Maybe BO should take some muscle relaxers because he has to have a stiff neck with all that action of umm the telepromter !
Okay, then someone tell me why the O-Administration who has been nationalizing the private sector left and right now all of a sudden wants to privatize THIS organization?? Why is that?
This, my friends, is an open door for the US to give away all the plans that we have spent billions on to other countries. Mark my words. You heard it here first. This would be like privatizing the Military.
I read a fascinating book by a futurist who predicted the next battlefield will be up in space. I would highly recommend reading this book called "The Next Hundred Years": http://www.amazon.com/dp/038551705X/?tag=googhydr...
Need you be reminded that our last great Democrat President–Bill Clinton–sold weaponry secrets to the Chinese.
I cannot understand why, even now, we are still naive.
[...] address this in a post at Big Government, entitled “NASA and the Last Fig Leaf of Big Government:” …Now, with the ridiculous admission of NASA Administrator Charles Bolden that the [...]
Everybody gets a trophy!
Yeah maybe we just put Death to Israel on the side of our Rocket ships and then Muslims will feel better about themselves.
Just erase United States of America from the sides of our Rocket ships and replace it with either "Death to America" or "Death to Israel" or maybe "Allah Akbar" and then the Muslims will feel better about themselves.
I live to make them and Reverend Wright happy….
Barry you get your A## out of that White House now , you hear me……
Obamo the Clown shuts down NASA tells everyone he is "fixing" it, then appropriates 2 million dollars for Re-Training of the High Tech people working there. This is Florida we don't have a lot of industry what are they going to Re-Train them for? Jobs at convienence stores.
My latest name for "the one" is "SCROTUS" (Socialist / Communist Reprobate Of The United States) I'm pretty sure this designation sums it up…
This is so serious on so many levels….giving muslims the information alone that we have to build missles etc…is not what we as a nation want to do.
Folks, you need to look at the big picture. This Muslim outreach program is an effort to reduce casts. With the Shuttle program coming to an end, we need a replacement. Under current ecomonic conditions, it must be cost efficient. Who has access to a vehicle that can take us to the ISS, moon, Mars and beyond?
NASA's proposed gestures to boost Muslim self esteem is solely to garner the attention of Nation of Islam leader Louie Farrakan. NASA hopes he'll allow them access to the space ship he currently has circling the earth.
“If government can put a man on the moon,”
evidence that cast serious doubt on even that:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ArcAngel4Myke
don't be scared.
take a look.
Or like Reagan extending an olive branch with the offer of technology sharing with the Soviet Union
Everyone I know who ever worked for NASA and was any good at what they do — left because they hated it. And for most of them, it was their "dream" job that became a nightmare within six months. Used to be my dream job, too –but it isn't anymore.
I get the sarcasm. My question is if NASA's mission has changed to diplomatic relations with the Muslim nations why do we continue to fund the department? Sounds redundant as we already have the diplomatic corps (not a dead guy) and the administration already performing the same mission.
Time to save some money.
Honestly, is anyone surprised by this trend? Think of all the benefits to the American society developed by NASA research. Gotta stop that American exceptionalism. Seems like the current administration is hell bent on destroying every American organization that worked.
You will have to discuss that complaint with the Department of Redundancy Department. it is right down the hall, kitty-corner from Room 101. Be careful………….
COOL!
Great name.
The scrotumless SCROTUS.
Gentle Readers,
Dear Mr. Garst,
You are wrong to assert that NASA ' got lucky ' back in the 1960s. Back then, NASA was fully-funded during the Kennedy Administration and devoted 2/3 of it's budget to it's core mission, Space Exploration, and 1/3 to aerospace research projects.
The reason 9 our of 10 projects are over-budget is that currently NASA spends $3 billion year our of a budget of $16 billion on it's core mission, Space Exploration. Under-funded projects go over-budget as they are not completed expeditiously and fall behind schedule. Next year, the exploration budget goes to $0 while the budget is projected to increase to $19 billion.
The old NASA motto was: ' Waste everything but time '. The new motto is ' Do everything except explore space '.
The government has to explore space for the same reason the government had to do the Louisiana Purchase – it's something the private sector simply cannot do.
Sincerely,
John Lepant Brighton CO
1. "He wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math"
2. "He wanted me to expand our international relationships"
3. "Third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science … and math and engineering."
-NASA Administrator Charles Bolden
Hmmm… now what seems to be missing from each of these three goals?
Something important…
Ah, yes.
How about any focus whatsoever on "AERONAUTICS" and/or "SPACE"?!
Too true, this guy can't speak without a Holl-weird script or sycophantic direction, he IS a coward and a TRAITOR!
That's the ticket to NEW exploration. Tell Obama that we found life on Mars and they don't pay any taxes. The IRS will become the new NASA instantly!!
NASA has lost is way and has been going down hill for quite some time. Does the name James Hansen ring a bell?
The latest plan is further proof of the lost mission.
It is time to shut down NASA, and leave space exploration to private enterprise. I am sure Muslim self-esteem will not be an issue.
Maybe NASA's real object is to establish the first mosque on the moon. That would at least give them a reason to go there. I hear there are 72 virgins waiting for every Muslim who volunteers to "take over the moon".
If I didn't already know better, I'd swear the events of the past too-many-months were from a poorly written novel or something. Except I don't think that even the most creative person could make this up. *facepalm*
LOL! I think Moochelle has that embittered look on her face because Rahm gets more 'attention' than she does.
How ironic it is that the elitist anti-business, anti-wealth, anti-constitution, anti-law, community organizer in chief wants to use PRIVATE industry to build rockets while he redistrubtes NASA funding for muslim outreach. Obviously, he doesn't believe industry can do it, just as he doesn't see a need to explore horizons other than the one he can see.
Turbans don't fit in space helmets!
They will if you drive the helmet on with a twelve pound sledgehammer.
Too true. Better yet, free Space Shuttle rides, for every single one wanting to marvel at the technological achievements of WESTERN civilization. You can't reach out much further than that. Cargo bays open upon orbit, of course. Hey, we never guaranteed a round trip excursion.
National Arab Sensitivity Association………………credit to Mike Church on XM166
It's not complicated. It's straight sucking up by intimating their history makes them worthy partners.
Powerful cartoon on "Moon-Rock Stoning" combining NASA's new mission to reach out to Muslims and the recent controversy over the stoning of Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani at http://drawfortruth.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/nasa...
When I was a kid eveyone wanted to be and astronaut or a soldier, had toy guns and toy moonwalkers (anyone else remember those?)
I also sat outside in the car with my dad and we listened to the audio of Armstrong, we held our breaths just like every other american until that ship touched down, and then burst out cheering.
What are my kids going to play with, little men in turbans that shriek and stone women, rape children, and cut off the heads of whimpering dhimi action figures? Will they have a "NASA Approved" stickers on them.
Pathetic Leftards you are a disgrace to our country and our forefathers.
For me the decline began when we launched George W. Bush into space.
Evolution one the puppet strings kept showing, you dont want to know where Rahm had to put his hand when they tried the ventriliquist scenario.
NASA is viewed as successful only because there is nothing comparable in the private sector. In fact it is a bloated, wasteful government agency. They might as well concentrate on raising Muslim self esteem.
I don't know when it began but I am pretty sure it accelerated when you were born.
I wonder if NASA will help them feel better about their savage little practice as well, nice cartoon
I think if you put this script in front of a director they would laugh and say "Too unbelievable"
Probably worried some of us might use them to escape when operation HOPECHANGE is kicked off in November 2012
He already started inspecting rail cars going out the country, probably just part of his "No one let out alive" program.
Hydraulic press would be more efficient I think
Defensive technology (assuming you mean SDI) but of course he never did, yet another to you I suppose "minor" difference.
Keep at it dimwit, eventually you might get close
Pass out those ribbons. Must make the muslim world feel better about themselves. Obama the mediocre.
richardporter, I think it began for me when Barbara Bush beached herself off Pensacola Fl in 1973.
I'd like to see a few muslim's shot into Outer Space.. 4.3.2.1. Blast Off.. .. ..
"Moon Over Mecca" by Barack Obama…..can almost see the space shuttle he would name after himself ( but they will be no more soon)
The only thing Gen. Bolden is guilty of is making the mistake of leaving out the word "outreach" in a sentence, in the middle of a conversational segment that was about outreach.
This should have been obvious to any real reporter the first time they read the interview, which was later confirmed by a NASA spokesman. It takes a lot of practice to speak in public while editing every sentence for how it would sound as a stand-alone sound bite. If you don't think so, try it sometime for yourself.
Of course, some people don't think the U.S. should be doing outreach of any kind to Muslim countries, but that's their problem, not NASA's.
Obama has NASA monitoring global warmongering and now keeping the mooseslum's sacred moon free of humans.
Yes, the mooseslums worship the moongod, al-ilah, aka Ba'al. All Moe Hammit did was change the name a tad.
Is there any question that the Kenyan named Hussein is a mooseslum?
What are you talking about? What he said is quite clear:
"Perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science and engineering."
Where in that sentence can "outreach" be inserted to substantially change his meaning? And it most certainly is NASA's problem that politicians think "outreach" to Muslim nations has the first thing to do with its mission. This is exactly the kind of political interference inherent to government bureaucracies that I address in the article.
John,
Thank you for your comment.
Perhaps I was not clear. By saying that NASA got lucky, what I meant is that it is a fluke, rather than a likely outcome, anytime a government bureaucracy succeeds in a difficult task such as that.
Moreover, my entire point is that the change in NASA behavior that you note is the inevitable outcome of its establishment as a government bureaucracy. So they were also "lucky" in that they were able to accomplish their task before such effects completely took hold.
As for your final claim, I find that simply to be untrue. The private sector is working toward space travel as we speak. And if the private sector simply cannot do it, as you claim, then why did NASA need to be given monopoly control over all traffic out of Earth's atmosphere? Perhaps there is an argument for public investment in space travel, but there are far more effective ways (such as prize offerings) to accomplish that than giving a giant government bureaucracy a legal monopoly over the entire industry. It's just not reasonable to do so and expect sustained results over a prolonged period of time.
Dear Mr. Garst,
Thank you for the favor of your reply.
On the contrary, there is no current capability in the private sector that would even remotely substitute for the STS ( Shuttle ) or the ARES ( Lunar Space Station to replace the current orbital ISS ) and there are no private plans for anything remotely close to those capabilities.
It's like the purchase of Alaska: The Government had to do that, and we've gained far more than the cost of the purchase. It's the same with the manned space program, which I distinctly differentiate from the NASA budget.
Kindest Regards,
J Lepant
Well.. Sorry to defuse you Mr. Garst…. I for one DO BELIEVE the theory behind "If we did that, we can do anything" concept of AMERICA ! Sure, there has got to be a lot to account for to get that to happen including the right Administration. Clearly Obama's isn't one of them – That's for sure. No this isn't pie in the sky, bubble gum delight theory. Seriously, Americans CAN DO ! They just need to want to collectively, politically and patriotically. So, it's not an impossible thing to occur.
Because Obama's middle name is Hussein. Get it? And… You know, I'm tired of asking all these questions of "why this", or "why that"…. This guy is absolutely out of orbit (no pun intended). The only thing that will 'save us'… as it always has throughout our more than 200 years of history is the VOTE… but NOW, that's even under question what with the dismissal of the Voter Intimidation trial. This guy hates America as it use to be known. It's clearer every day.
Well. . your theory is a little rocky…. But, so is the moon.
I don't feel defused at all, except in so far as I'm disappointed to see anyone confusing America for her government. Of course Americans can do it. The question is how best to mobilize our resources. I, as a limited government conservative, am steadfast in my belief that government is not the correct answer to that question, no matter who is in charge.
Just add vodka to the Tang. What I really want to know is how much is this outreach bullcrap going to cost the taxpayers?
Meanwhile, pro-Israeli Fox News is launching a MUSLIM version of Fox News to extend an olive branch to the Muslim world. Those who live in glass houses . . .
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