Too much power in the hands of government

Good post over at the Powerline blog on Obama's statement earlier in the week that "I think at some point you have made enough money". Their point is that at some point there is too much power afforded to government and they now do have too much power.

James Oberg describes the new space taxis

Here is a good article by space writer James Oberg about how the space taxis (some shown in this image) that will be built by commercial providers have a lower hurdle to clear in terms of tasks and technology than previous NASA spacecraft.

More on Obama's plans for NASA

There's a good article here from National Review... as the sub-title says: "Regarding space exploration, the Obama administration fails to dream big". I think that really says it all. I hope the commercial providers can step up the plate and change the game. I think there's a real chance that could happen, but if they don't have a mission, and I only see vague generalities on that score, then what's the point?

There's a rather different take here pointing out that the Obama plan provides more goodies for western states.

Obama on NASA's future

President Obama gave a speech today at the Kennedy Space Center. There's a news story recap here and a space politics blog recap here. It all sounds pretty good, albeit with some significant caveats. One, I don't trust the guy to keep his stated commitment to NASA. Two, for anybody who was looking forward to a return to the Moon... forget it. Three, people had better be patient. Obama was talking about a mission to an asteroid in 2025 and to Mars orbit in 2035. Geez, we were able to go from just about zero in terms of launch capability to the surface of the Moon in 8 years and now it will take us 15 years to rendezvous with an asteroid?

Update: Great video with Homer Hickam expressing his skepticism of Obama's announced plan.

Open letter from Homer Hickam to NASA astronauts

Homer Hickam, whose book and early life story was made into the movie "October Sky", has written an open letter to NASA astronauts urging them to go on strike or to otherwise make a stand to protest the Obama space policy that is strangling the life out of manned spaceflight. It's a good letter. Hickam makes the connection that Obama science adviser John Holdren, who is a huge Luddite, is probably behind the policy.

Obama bowing to the Chinese leader

What is with this guy? Again he's bowing to a foreign leader. How obsequious.

the disaster that is the Obama foreign policy

Victor Davis Hanson has another good post on what a train wreck the Obama foreign policy is. I couldn't agree more. What really gets me is how those on the left are so blind to what Obama is doing. I had a dialogue with one of my Lib friends and he refused to admit that Obama was in any way anti-Israel or had at all offended the British. Amazing.

Update: Michael Ledeen suggests here that Victor Hanson's hypothesis of Obama being incompetent is wrong and that instead Obama is purposefully cutting America down to make us just another member of the "world community".

Obama treating our allies poorly

Victor Davis Hanson has a good post on the Corner about how Obama has been treating Britain and Israel with disrespect. I posted a link to this on my Facebook page and already had one of my leftie friends go off on me so I guess it hit a nerve.