International Space Station Crews Mark Three Years Aboard

In article ,
Rand Simberg wrote:
Evidently, Reagan didn't know what he was talking about. He took in
NASA's propaganda hook, line, and sinker. As Reagan went, so went
the public.
Is he supposed to be a space expert? Whose "propaganda" should he
have believed?

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see through NASA's propaganda.
Reagan could have actually read the NASA appropriation that he signed.
Even from a Wall Street Journal summary and some 6th grade math, he could
have recognized the poor economics of the space shuttle (and later, the
space station). Even if Reagan himself was only prepared for superficial
thought, he could have appointed an honest NASA administrator who belived
in substance over sales pitch. Unfortunately his appointee, James Beggs,
was a scheming businessman. In rather opposite ways, sales pitch
defined both men.

So yes, Reagan could have done better, and America could have done better.
Even assuming that America needed a small-government Republican, it
could have had a practical, knowledgeable manager. But Reagan was no
Herbert Hoover. He didn't even know when he was true to his own ideology.
He was the Great Communicator, but he never thought hard about what he
was communicating.

--
/\ Greg Kuperberg (UC Davis)
/ \
\ / Visit the Math ArXiv Front at http://front.math.ucdavis.edu/
\/ * All the math that's fit to e-print *

On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 00:11:28 +0000 (UTC), in a place far, far away,
(Greg Kuperberg) made the phosphor on
my monitor glow in such a way as to indicate that:

In article ,
Rand Simberg wrote:
Evidently, Reagan didn't know what he was talking about. He took in
NASA's propaganda hook, line, and sinker. As Reagan went, so went
the public.
Is he supposed to be a space expert? Whose "propaganda" should he
have believed?

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see through NASA's propaganda.

Actually, "rocket scientists" are often the least likely to be able
to.

Reagan could have actually read the NASA appropriation that he signed.
Even from a Wall Street Journal summary and some 6th grade math, he could
have recognized the poor economics of the space shuttle (and later, the
space station). Even if Reagan himself was only prepared for superficial
thought, he could have appointed an honest NASA administrator who belived
in substance over sales pitch. Unfortunately his appointee, James Beggs,
was a scheming businessman.

Do you have any basis for this slander?

much slander about Reagan snipped as well

You have very unrealistic expectations about Presidents, and people in
general. Most people, particularly in the 1980s, assumed that NASA
had all the relevant expertise to render sound policy advice about
space. It's irrational to expect a former Hollywood actor to second
guess advice from the supposed experts from his own administration,
particularly when few understood how screwed up the Shuttle program
was then.

--
simberg.interglobal.org * 310 372-7963 (CA) 307 739-1296 (Jackson Hole)
interglobal space lines * 307 733-1715 (Fax) http://www.interglobal.org

"Extraordinary launch vehicles require extraordinary markets..."
Swap the first . and @ and throw out the ".trash" to email me.
Here's my email address for autospammers:

Rand Simberg ) wrote:
: On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 00:11:28 +0000 (UTC), in a place far, far away,
: (Greg Kuperberg) made the phosphor on
: my monitor glow in such a way as to indicate that:

: In article ,
: Rand Simberg wrote:
: Evidently, Reagan didn't know what he was talking about. He took in
: NASA's propaganda hook, line, and sinker. As Reagan went, so went
: the public.
: Is he supposed to be a space expert? Whose "propaganda" should he
: have believed?
:
: You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see through NASA's propaganda.

: Actually, "rocket scientists" are often the least likely to be able
: to.

: Reagan could have actually read the NASA appropriation that he signed.
: Even from a Wall Street Journal summary and some 6th grade math, he could
: have recognized the poor economics of the space shuttle (and later, the
: space station). Even if Reagan himself was only prepared for superficial
: thought, he could have appointed an honest NASA administrator who belived
: in substance over sales pitch. Unfortunately his appointee, James Beggs,
: was a scheming businessman.

: Do you have any basis for this slander?

: much slander about Reagan snipped as well

: You have very unrealistic expectations about Presidents, and people in
: general. Most people, particularly in the 1980s, assumed that NASA
: had all the relevant expertise to render sound policy advice about
: space. It's irrational to expect a former Hollywood actor to second
: guess advice from the supposed experts from his own administration,
: particularly when few understood how screwed up the Shuttle program
: was then.

Nice Republican spin.

Eric

: --
: simberg.interglobal.org * 310 372-7963 (CA) 307 739-1296 (Jackson Hole)
: interglobal space lines * 307 733-1715 (Fax) http://www.interglobal.org

: "Extraordinary launch vehicles require extraordinary markets..."
: Swap the first . and @ and throw out the ".trash" to email me.
: Here's my email address for autospammers: