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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: keyboardlover on Wed, 21 March 2012, 09:27:06

Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: keyboardlover on Wed, 21 March 2012, 09:27:06
Why is this guy always cutting stuff that actually makes sense???

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/story/2012-03-21/arizona-scientists-mars-research-cuts/53681672/1 (http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/story/2012-03-21/arizona-scientists-mars-research-cuts/53681672/1)
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: hcry4 on Wed, 21 March 2012, 09:43:31
From the article...
Quote
The proposed cuts are part of the Obama administration's efforts to shift priorities for the space program. Under his plan, NASA's total budget of $17.7 billion would decrease only slightly, by 0.3 percent, or $59 million.
Some NASA divisions, however, such as Planetary Science, which includes the Mars program, would see deeper cuts. Others would get additional funding, including the Earth Science division and the James Webb Telescope, a large infrared space telescope pegged to launch in 2018 that has been plagued by cost overruns.
NASA's proposed budget also doubles seed money for developing commercial spaceflights, to $829 million.
In unveiling budget details at a recent news conference, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said the proposal allows the nation to aggressively pursue space exploration in a constrained fiscal environment. He said "tough choices" had to be made. As part of the proposed changes, a new Mars planning group will develop a new strategy for the program.
Bolden said the administration is committed to continuing the country's leadership role in Mars exploration, within the available budget. Goals include new robotic missions and future human missions to Mars, he said. Human missions are not likely to happen for a while. The Mars Science Laboratory (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Mars+Science+Laboratory), scheduled to land in August, features the largest robotic rover to date but is unmanned.
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: godly_music on Wed, 21 March 2012, 12:32:40
Good. Deeper space missions are ridiculously expensive and I doubt the benefit they bring. We'll never settle other planets or reach manned flight beyond the solar system with technology. Either we'll destroy ourselves before the tech reaches that level or we'll develop enough spiritually that it'll just not be important anymore.
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: davkol on Wed, 21 March 2012, 17:08:01
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Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: FinancialWar on Thu, 22 March 2012, 03:14:09
Mars belongs to China
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: Ekaros on Thu, 22 March 2012, 04:32:19
You guys can't afford it anyway. The rich won't be paying for that, it should be exploited by corporations...
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: silat on Thu, 22 March 2012, 05:08:50
Does this mean we cannot send Gingrich to Mars?
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: keyboardlover on Thu, 22 March 2012, 06:11:36
And now he wants to increase our deficit over the next 10 years.

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/216397-obama-budget-adds-35-trillion-in-deficits-cbo-finds (http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/216397-obama-budget-adds-35-trillion-in-deficits-cbo-finds)

I just don't get him. Nor do I get why anyone would want to vote for him.
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: Parak on Thu, 22 March 2012, 06:24:48
Lawl @ people that say that we can't afford it:

[video=youtube;CbIZU8cQWXc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbIZU8cQWXc[/video]
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: keyboardlover on Thu, 22 March 2012, 06:39:15
How can we afford it? We're paying for it with borrowed money!
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 22 March 2012, 07:27:00
Quote from: keyboardlover;552400
Why is this guy always cutting stuff that actually makes sense???

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/story/2012-03-21/arizona-scientists-mars-research-cuts/53681672/1

Quote from: keyboardlover;553405
How can we afford it? We're paying for it with borrowed money!

So... what's your position?
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: keyboardlover on Thu, 22 March 2012, 08:56:11
Quote from: itlnstln;553419
So... what's your position?

It's not already clear to you?

Cut what ****ing makes sense and fund what ****ing makes sense!
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: Malphas on Thu, 22 March 2012, 11:15:56
What would you cut and what would you keep if you were Obama, keyboardlover?
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: Fuzzy Dunlop on Thu, 22 March 2012, 11:50:06
Give Obummer a break. I agree ending the Shuttle program without a replacement was a huge mistake, but it was Bush – not Obama – who talked about space exploration and then proceeded to liberate NASA of 20% of its overall budget. It was Bush who inherited Clinton's $200 billion surplus and blew it all on cocaine and Iraqi hookers. Obama inherited FDR-era economic numbers. The GOP harpies harangue him for spending money on health insurance and funding anything to do with birth control, then complain when China outpaces the U.S. in growth and innovation. Obama can't win.
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: keyboardlover on Thu, 22 March 2012, 12:14:44
Quote from: Malphas;553596
What would you cut and what would you keep if you were Obama, keyboardlover?


Not an easy question to answer (http://funding-programs.idilogic.aidpage.com/).

In short, I would cut all government-funded programs which provide little-no value. There are a LOT of them.

I would keep things that make sense: securing our borders, technology/science programs (including space, oceans and technology which I believe are all super important), education in general, among others.

Our government has proven time and time again that it is terrible at micro-managing. We need to cut that rubbish and allow the private sector to help in this regard. They provide a hell of a lot more value than the government does.
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: Malphas on Thu, 22 March 2012, 14:19:11
I think the problem is this though:

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JTd2KOgmF9A/SxYYc0ZM-zI/AAAAAAAABAk/1chrDtV_u8Y/s1600/Fy2010_spending_by_category.jpg)

Governments pay more on debt interest than they do on things the things people talk about cutting. Odds are if the Republicans were in power, the expenditure would be near identical.  It's like here in the UK where all the idiot socialists (as in genuine European-style socialists, not American "socialist" which basically just means centre or centre-right) are complaining about the Tories making these huge, terrible cuts when in fact it's just an insignificant percentage.  Then the kind of person (e.g. Ron Paul) who would make genuinely significant cuts, like slashing social security and defence budgets are all depicted as (and to some extent are) fringe laughing stocks by mainstream politicians (who are all essentially the same, regardless of party affiliation).
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: silat on Thu, 22 March 2012, 15:29:51
Quote from: keyboardlover;553644
Not an easy question to answer (http://funding-programs.idilogic.aidpage.com/).

In short, I would cut all government-funded programs which provide little-no value. There are a LOT of them.

I would keep things that make sense: securing our borders, technology/science programs (including space, oceans and technology which I believe are all super important), education in general, among others.

Our government has proven time and time again that it is terrible at micro-managing. We need to cut that rubbish and allow the private sector to help in this regard. They provide a hell of a lot more value than the government does.


Lol 40 yrs of Reagan trickled down voodoo pizz on you economics and no meaningfull regulation let the "private" sector ruin the world economy.
And you want to double down?
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: audioave10 on Thu, 22 March 2012, 16:46:02
An astronaut's body would not ever recover from a year in space. They need to spend more on Science and less on Wall Street.
Title: Obama wants to severely cut our Mars program...
Post by: Malphas on Thu, 22 March 2012, 18:41:17
Quote from: audioave10;553887
An astronaut's body would not ever recover from a year in space. They need to spend more on Science and less on Wall Street.
Valeri Polyakov and several other cosmonaut's have spent over a year in space without any disastrous long-term effects.