I want to preface this post by saying I don't do politics. Essentially, I think all of them are liars and thieves out for their own pocket and so I don't bother with listening to the news or getting into political arguments. I have better things to do - like contemplating the dust in my navel.
So I have no idea whose bright idea this was, but the more I hear about the situation, the more I feel that I must have missed something important.
Why did we cancel the space program?
Was it simply money? Really? All the waste I see (and as an accountant, I can recognize waste for 1000 miles away) and yet we can't continue our space program? Why did we never study the moon in depth? Consider this, governments have paid archeologists to dig in the same sand boxes for hundreds of years, but yet, the moon - which has never been excavated - has now been abandoned? That simply does not compute.
Then let's consider that we put our rockets in museums but left American astronauts on the space station. This is NOT like your buddy leaving you at a party because he hooked up with a cute girl. They can't call a cab or walk if they get desperate. So now we have to depend on other countries - who we've always said was beneath us in technology - to get our men home. If I was those guys stranded, the world's biggest butt-whooping would be happening as soon as I set foot on American soil again.
So now, since we've decided it's not worth it, Sir Richard Branson has decided to develop his own space program. Heck, he probably has more money than the US so it doesn't surprise me. But what about when he is successful. Then builds condos up there. After all, no one owns the moon, right? So there's really nothing to stop him from making it the next capitalistic frontier. Who will look like the idiot then?
Anyway, the entire thing exhausts me. So why exactly did we cancel our space program? Can anyone give me the Cliff's Notes version?
And Happy Labor Day!
Deadly DeLeon
Monday, September 05, 2011
Am I Missing Something Important
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8 comments:
I don't have an answer, but I totally agree with the wasteful spending, politicians out for their own gain, and that we shouldn't have abandoned astronauts on the space station. sorry, i can't be more helpful!!!
kris - seems sometimes that all sense has gone out the window, right? It boggles the mind.
You're so right. We waste money on so many things, and now to lose the space program? Amazing.
It's not only the research. I think the space program has always been a source of national pride. It meant we were striving to learn more, be better, look to the future. Now what are we doing? I just don't know.
I agree with ALL the comments and the post. I dislike politicians and don't believe a word any of them say. I think we'll regret the day we stopped our Space Program. Now when other countries technologies become better than ours (Ha, like that hasn't already happened!) and a scientific breakthrough is discovered we'll be the 'poor boy with his hand held out and last in line' for important information.
The shuttle program was set for mandatory retirement in 2011 by Bush in 2004. You can read more about the program and what was to succeed the shuttle at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_program.
Angie - I totally agree with the point of national pride. So sad, the loss. sigh
Brandy - it's a sad, sad day, right? This country used to be cutting edge. One can only hope the public sector finds investors and takes up the slack.
Thanks for the link, Jane! The whole thing is just so depressing.
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