SpaceX Politics

[dragon04]

I personally don't see using NASA as a tool to tie seemingly incompatible cultures together as something that could be considered Anti-American or Pro-Terrorist. That's utterly absurd.

ANYTHING we can do to isolate the Extremists of the world, regardless of vehicle or method is work well done. Generally speaking, neither Muslims nor Islam in general are my enemies, and they are not inherently evil. By using the common goal of Mankind to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and...... wait......ummmmm.

I honestly have a lot of reservations about and objections to the practices of Islamic Fundamentalists just as I do Fundamentalist Jews and Christians and any other FUndamentalist mentality. Fundamentalism is for knuckle draggers.

However, if we have a tool such as our space program to edify other cultures and thereby offer an avenue of inclusion into the global society, what the Hell is wrong with using it?

 

[adrenalynn]

I honestly have a lot of reservations about and objections to the practices of Islamic Fundamentalists just as I do Fundamentalist Jews and Christians and any other FUndamentalist mentality. Fundamentalism is for knuckle draggers.

I prefer "funnymentalist"

However, if we have a tool such as our space program to edify other cultures and thereby offer an avenue of inclusion into the global society, what the Hell is wrong with using it?

As long as you're willing to accept that National Aeronautic and Space Administration just became Not Applicable by removing the 'A' and the 'S', that's fine.

 

[dragon04]

It's no secret that I personally am fine with leaving future Space Exploration in the hands of Private Enterprise as opposed to my Tax Dollars funding it. However, if we decide that we still must have a National Space Agency of some sort, I think it has to have more dimensions than just putting rockets and tin cans into space.

Manned spaceflight is only a component of what NASA brings to the table. The sum total of robotic missions since the inception of NASA and missions such as Hubble have been of inestimable value to any efforts that the United States has made to unify and enlighten people all across the globe.

But let me ask you, 'Lynn, specifically, what is it that you would like NASA to do, or perhaps more importantly, what is it that you want to see NASA do with your Tax Dollar?

 

[Mee_n_Mac]

However, if we have a tool such as our space program to edify other cultures and thereby offer an avenue of inclusion into the global society, what the Hell is wrong with using it?

Nothing other than we have a State Dept whose mission includes such things. If we want NASA to do various outreach programs to other space faring nations, to see what might be gained via co-operation, then that's fine. As it is "we" already blur NASA's mission statement with too much political crap. When you have as little $$s as NASA does, you really should be focused on your goals. One trip is a tempest in a teapot but do we want to make this SOP ?

 

[adrenalynn]

But let me ask you, 'Lynn, specifically, what is it that you would like NASA to do, or perhaps more importantly, what is it that you want to see NASA do with your Tax Dollar?

Go away.

Not you - them...

I have no desire to fund them to do the Secretary of State's job.

Privatize JPL and boot NASA the rest of the way to the curb. Nothing that inefficient, attached like a leach to my purse, should be permitted to exist.

 

[frodo1008]

Adrenalyne, perhaps you and Manny could actually do something useful here (and no, I don't mean leave, although I must admit that I was tempted) and find out if there is even a part of NASA's budget that has actually been given over to Muslim outreach. I find upon looking for this that it does not seem to even exist.

What I do suspect is perhaps some of that part of the budget given over to educational programs in general (and that is perhaps 1% totally of NASA's budget, if that much) is what is being used for this particular effort.

And as for NASA removing the "S" and the "A" from their name, as some 99+ percent of their budget is in those areas then such a suggestion is just plain stupid!

Somebody here on a post once calculated that the average cost of the entire NASA budget to the average taxpayer amounted to less than a single candy bar price once a day. So, you can object to that price all you want, the rest of us here that truly support the space efforts of NASA and the US will be happy to buy our candy bars!

I, on the other hand, object to the governments fighting useless wars in the Middle East. Wars that are costing your purse and mine at least some 10 times as much as NASA's ENTIRE budget every year that we remain there. And yes, if you and Manny wan to state that it seems as if president Obama is following the same path as the previous administration in this stupidity, then I would have to agree with you both. But there is at least some hope that he at least will end this insanity by the end of his first (and possibly only, although at this time I certainly do not see ANY viable Republican candidate on the horizon) term, in other words by 2012. And this is a hope that we did not have with the last administration at all.

Further, if the absolutely tiny amount of the federal budget that he wants to spend boosting the pride of regular Muslims to help do that, then it is certainly a bargain as federal expenditures go. Would you spend some $10 cents to get back some $10 dollars for your purse? I certainly would for my wallet!!

And NASA due to the nature of its mission is in a far better position to do that for this particular case than is the entire state department! Perhaps you could write to your Congress Person to encourage the state department to hire NASA for this specific area, and even take the funding for that out of its own budget?

I think that would be a perfectly acceptable alternative to not only myself, but a lot of others here as we could then remove this entire somewhat useless discussion!

Heck also being a woman and the present Secretary of State also being a woman (and a possible future alternative to president Obama) why don't you also present such a case to Hillary Clinton?

If you actually consider this "Tempest in A Teapot" issue to be an actual problem, then why not at least try to be a part of a solution to it, rather than complaining and whining about it? :twisted: :twisted:

 

[adrenalynn]

find out if there is even a part of NASA's budget that has actually been given over to Muslim outreach. I find upon looking for this that it does not seem to even exist.

[...]
as some 99+ percent of their budget is in those areas then such a suggestion is just plain stupid!

Giggle!!!

 

[frodo1008]

Well, it is better that I amuse you.

I guess......

 

[adrenalynn]

When you post things to the operative effect of: "I have no idea what the budget allocations are but 99+ percent of it goes to...", you gotta grasp whatever value you can find...

 

[dragon04]

But let me ask you, 'Lynn, specifically, what is it that you would like NASA to do, or perhaps more importantly, what is it that you want to see NASA do with your Tax Dollar?

Go away.

Not you - them...

I have no desire to fund them to do the Secretary of State's job.

Privatize JPL and boot NASA the rest of the way to the curb. Nothing that inefficient, attached like a leach to my purse, should be permitted to exist.

Fair enough. I can't really argue with you. The one thing I'd note is that it's far less likely for the US State Dept to make in-roads into potentially hostile cultures than it would be for NASA or some USA Gov sponsored program such as the Peace Corps. By nature (amongst other things), Hillary Clinton isn't going to win the hearts and minds of Arab/Islamic people who are at best ambivalent towards America let alone the ones who are openly critical or hostile of us.

Certainly, there are ways for State to open doors, but that's the stuff of a different topic.

 

[frodo1008]

OK Adrenalynn, lets do it this way then. I did find a site (NASA's own site) where they had a detailed table of the break down of NASA's budget.

The total budget for 2011 is $19.0 billion.

The only area where this Muslim Outreach type of effort would be located is in the educational area of the budget. And even there this Muslim Outreach is certainly not all of NASA's education budget.

But let us assume it is, just for kicks. NASA's education budget for 2011 is $145.8 million.

I don't even need a calculator here, as 1.0% of $19 billion is $190 million, which is some what less then $145.8 million.

And remember the Muslim Outreach would only be a part of that education budget itself!

So, I think we can safely leave NASA as NASA.

Oh, here is the link:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/420990main_FY_2 ... b_2010.pdf

How about some more Giggles?? :lol: :lol: :lol: