Latest about NASA AKA My Disgust with the GOP

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Let me start out by saying, as many may already know, I am pretty much apolitical at this point, with the exception of reading a little bit of news here and there.

I no longer vote, and while I love reading political history( and history in general), I pretty much think politics is a massive joke, and little more. The only time I even really watch the news is when I'm at McDonald's, eating my food. I confess it's quite entertaining to watch such stupidity. It's the ultimate "reality" TV: "intellectuals" making complete asses of themselves!

I am a free-market Capitalist, and I despise Communism beyond anything else.

I do happen to like a couple former US presidents-- interestingly enough, I like a few Republicans, and one or two Democrats. One former Republican happens to be a hero of mine (Ronaldus Magnus).

That said, some breaking news has come out on a couple of sites--including from Rush Limbaugh:

President Obama--in attempt to fund a bill I completely disapprove of--has decided to do something very smart, and defund a major government program. Not only has he decided to do this, but he apparently prefers to have other governments, and( here's the part I love) the private sector handle the venture of space exploration.

I don' know....after what happened with the Challenger and Columbia( I believe it was), that doesn't sound like too bad of an idea.

Now, in march Republicans who are--get this--complaining about this!

They don't want NASA defunded.

But wait....aren't Republicans supposedly for limiting government, and letting the private sector handle the things that they can obviously do more efficiently than the feds can?

And gee...I could've sworn my business idol--Sir Richard Branson--already has something about space exploration in the works known as Virgin Galactic!

After hearing this nauseating crap from Republicans, it must be said:

I hope they enjoy regaining their majority in Congress this November, cause I don't think it will last long.

If they were truly for the private sector and limited government( which I already knew they weren't), they'd be cheering this decision like crazy.

Instead, they're screaming their heads off. Look..I'm not saying President Obama is doing it for the right reasons( to pay for lousy legislation), but better he do it for the wrong reasons than not do it at all! Heh, ya'd think they'd wait 'til they did regain their majority b'fore shooting their mouths off like crazy.

And it's worth noting: they complain about revisionist history all the time. Well, while I'm more than aware of several instances of it, there are also several instances they happen to back as well.....even when it comes to stuff the Democratic Party did.


This sh!t is the reason I no longer even care who's in the White House; I can live a great life regardless, and I can succeed regardless. This may've turned me away from reading any news again for quite some time....

Oh lord. So the Constellation Program is being canceled. To be honest, I'm personally terribly disappointed although I know America has a deficit to sort out. I wouldn't be surprised if the Republicans don't want the NASA budget cut because George Bush started that program and the Republicans supported it.

Oh well, we can always hitch a ride with the Chinese, as they develop the moon and space. Looks like we're going to be 'the Portuguese of Space' after all...

Why would they cheer the defunding the space program when the money is simply going to be used for other government spending (in this case more bogus climate research)?

to be fair though, was there any other way a program was gonna be defunded and thrown to the private sector?

Come now--you think Americans actually want a government that believes in free-market Capitalism?

I have a saying these days: "in order to trust government to do the right thing, you must trust the people who elect government to do the right thing."

I know the bill he's defunding it in favor of is terrible legislation; but then again for the most part nothing I've heard that he's signed is good legislation; so I at least see it as something positive coming out of it....especially when space exploration is needed, and I trust private industry to handle it well.

All the time and money my generation wasted learning English. Yet it seems we will all have to learn Chinese at this rate .

I think you'll notice that most democrats won't constantly tow the line and agree with everyone on everything either - I just think there's much less coercion among republicans than democrats to walk in lockstep on the issues (there's a reason why they call them 'blue dogs').

Also you have this issue - republicans want as much free economy as feasible, does that mean anarcho-capitalism? No. Some might like the idea of letting the private sector pick up space travel because they may think that there will be competition to...say...commercially mine ores out of asteroids; that would have incentive. Would people have to worry about leaky o rings or parts in the rocket mechanism that may blow up any less if it was private sector? It seems like it actually costs less to build the thing right the first time because, if something you build does blow up and kill people - there's your company's livelihood, Uncle Sam doesn't have that problem.

It may be perhaps tempting to liken that issue to the idea of deregulating utilities such as nuclear power but, that's really a constant maintenance issue and that's a specific kind of issue where economy will naturally take health and safety in the wrong direction if left to its own devices - if people have their power - no one seems to care until you have a three mile island issue. Even the Perry plant on the coast of Lake Erie had some inspections and it was realized that not only was the cooling tower falling apart but the backup radiator mechanisms which were supposed to stop a full-scale meltdown if the primary wen't weren't working either. IMO its much less like deregulated power than it's like Boeing making Airplanes or Lockheed Martin making armored vehicles.

Well, I would appreciate your sources for information as well.

And of course the Soviet economy collapsed; any economics structure set up like that is doomed to collapse. Right there, you're entering into one of my special interests: economics.

From what I know--and I'd have to find the original source in regards to the defective equipment- Reagan discovered that we were sending them equipment for nuclear reactors, as well as lots of classified information. He decided, rather than halt the process, send 'em something they likely wouldn't expect.

If you refer to his War on Drugs, Amnesty for Illegals, and the Payroll Tax Increase, I'm well aware of all three. In fact, the third one is why I've referred to Bob Dole as a schmuck: he was the one who sponsored it. Sandra Day O'Connor doesn't help that resume either.

I keep thinking about the AT&T monopoly being overturned, the FCC ruling on toys/animated shows being overturned, the knowledge I now have about the beginning negotiations for what would eventually be NAFTA, the overturning of the Fairness Doctrine, and two tax cuts: one in 1982, one in 1986.

Oh yeah, and a certain speech he made at the Berlin Wall...yeah, that was totally unimportant I'm sure.

I don't really believe Reagan was intentionally big government; naive as all hell, absolutely, but I don't think he was truly in favor of it.

And again...this was all accomplished by a guy from Hollywood who couldn't seem to get a better movie role then as a second banana to a chimpanzee.

Oh yeah....he also handed a group of hippies their asses when he was governor of California too, and pissed off a lot of people in discussing--I believe--the California Redwoods.