We have often marveled at the extraordinary discoveries and pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope. However, a panel of the House Appropriations Committee Science has moved to cut the successor to Hubble — the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It is part of a $1.6 billion cut into NASA — an agency already slashed deeply in prior budgets.
The Webb telescope is designed look deeper into space than the Hubble. Its launch is now delayed. It is 75 percent complete, but could now be scrapped.
House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said “given this time of fiscal crisis, it is also important that Congress make tough decisions to cut programs where necessary to give priority to programs with broad national reach that have the most benefit to the American people.”
I understand that sentiment but why not make the tough decision to cut funding for our three wars? The Obama Administration has just burned over $1 billion on our latest war. We are literally burning away our scientific and educational foundations to pay for these wars.
Source: The Hill
If scientists are getting grant money from congress they are no long disinterested parties. They now have a potential bias, i.e., to do what is needed to get more grant money.
I’ll have to agree that corn ethanol subsidies are not just a ridiculous waste of funding, but a bad idea as far as green fuels go. I recall reading an article (but, honestly, I’ve had a long day and I’m too lazy to go digging for it now) that showed producing the corn for ethanol actually created more carbon emissions than it offset. That’s the kind of silly thing that happens when Congress listens to lobbyists instead of disinterested (as in they have no financial motive) scientists on questions of science when setting policy.
Here’s an article from the Des Moines Register on this issue, entitled “Senate votes to end corn ethanol subsidy.”
http://tinyurl.com/6lxyowt
How much are the subsidies to pay farmers to grow corn for ethanol instead of FOOD? I’m too lazy to look it up now but I think we can stop that subsidy and direct it to the telescope. We grow food to eat here or in (name starving foreign entity here). BUT for some reason this ticks off farmers. Why? Are they getting more $ for corn for fuel? Please educate me. Too tired tonight. Me gehhhting sleeeeeppp yyyyyy……..
(thud)
Yes, it has. This does not change my final question though.
I believe having Congressional approval has been the exception rather than the rule throughout our history.
@Roco
“Not free as in anarchy but free as in limited government which protects the rights of citizens.”
I’m amazed that you can speak of limited government and not question the decade of actions the executive branch – in collusion with Congress relinquishing it’s authority to declare and fund wars since the “bad war” of Vietnam – in the same breath.
Do you perceive that the current wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya will be granted the status of “good wars” by history? Might they become the “bad” war(s) that you associate with Vietnam after almost forty years of hindsight?
If a government can war on foreign peoples without congressional representation and approval of its own is the government limited?
Elaine M: “I wonder if Bush would have had the same support for the Iraq War had there been a draft in place.”
“Why do you suppose we don’t have a draft now?”
—
We were wrong about an all volunteer army much to my eternal chagrin. I switched back to a preference for a draft some time ago also. One of the pressures to go for an all volunteer force I recall was that the draft had become totally corrupt regarding deferments. Rich folks sent their sons to college and not-rich folks waved goodbye to their kids as they went to Nam or Canada.
Cheney- 5 deferments (“better things to do”) and he was not untypical of a certain class of entitled youth. I, and maybe we, figured that people just wouldn’t join up if the war wasn’t a ‘good war’. I didn’t anticipate an economy on the skids for a couple of decades and the military becoming the job of last resort. Or mercs.
Woosty, Brilliant!
One of my favorites and entirely apropos to any discussion of war. You are viciously acidic of wit today, well done!
The end of my all-time favorite anti-war movie–Breaker Morant:
@Roco
“I know very many people, left and right who wanted payback.”
From whom? I don’t dispute the right of sovereign nations to defend themselves, however I do question the ability of people to see the blowback of their government’s actions. Your quoted sentence reaffirms this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7HMz1WKkso
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7HMz1WKkso&w=425&h=349%5D
Roco,
Do you think the morale is high these days in our volunteer army?
I read once that it was becuase of the rampant drug use and bad moral of a drafted army.
Viet Nam was a very bad war, it should never have been fought. We did it because of our “debt” to the French. We should have invaded France and given it to Ho Chi Minh as a gift.
gbk:
I think we came pretty close at the beginning and for a number of years afterward.
Not free as in anarchy but free as in limited government which protects the rights of citizens.
Roco,
“We had the draft in Viet Nam and were there for about 6-7 years before any real opposition was raised. So I disagree that a draft would have kept us out of Iraq, especially after 9/11. We wanted blood. Too bad we spilled the wrong blood.”
The momentum for war protests may have been slow to build–but the protests changed our country and changed our society. It wasn’t until we young people began to learn of the lies our politicians were telling us about the Viet Nam War–until we lost siblings, cousins, good friends. I remember how I began to question our country’s involvement in the war when I lost a good friend.
Why do you suppose we don’t have a draft now?
@Roco
“A standing army in a truly free society . . . ”
Is there such a thing?
gbk:
I know very many people, left and right who wanted payback. I think it only natural when viciously attacked in that manner.
I am referring to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They are young, looking at the interviews of the parents of these young people they come from all walks of life. And they appear to be very fine young people. Hopefully they will take this experience and make a better country when it is their turn to take over.
@Roco
“a good many of the officers and enlisted in this war were not the poor.”
Which war are you referring to?
“In fact the officer corps is decidedly middle class, at least once they become officers.”
And what of the others?
@Roco
“We wanted blood.”
Speak for yourself.