In Rick's piece, he savages the Obama administration's agenda for NASA -- which, it appears, has almost nothing to do with Aeronautics and Space. Instead, he wants them to focus on giving Muslims self-esteem about how they used to actually be pretty technically advanced before they rejected all that and embraced their inner barbarian.
Rick is right, that this is appalling. But every now and then, I like to feel a bit contrarian and go looking for the positive, trying to find the pony in the pile of horse manure.
And here, I think I've found a couple good points.
First up, this is an Obama regime initiative. That means that it's pretty much doomed to epic failure from the outset. And in this case, one possible outcome would be to actually make today's Muslims recognize just how far they've fallen as a culture. About a thousand years ago, Islam was the faith of the enlightened, the educated, the technologically advanced.
Today? They're worse than Luddites. The only technology they embrace are those of weapons and death -- or those things that can be used to further killing and suffering. Hell, there's a running joke about the "Palestinian Space Program."
Applied improperly, this attempt to "boost their self-esteem" could instead rub their noses in their utter failures as a culture. And that could wake them up a bit.
Secondly, I'm in general opposed to movements to "give self-esteem" to people. To my way of thinking, anything someone else gives you, someone else can take away. The only self-esteem that matters is that which you earn.
In this case, though, I find myself liking the idea of setting them up for serious disillusionment. It gives me serious warm fuzzies, when all that "self-esteem" blows up in their face.
In the big picture, Rick's right. This is a horrifically bad idea by the Obama administration, terribly short-sighted and all too typical -- take what should be "pure science" and replace it with social engineering, socialist gobbledygook at the cost of serious green from the taxpayers.
But it ain't guaranteed to be all bad...
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Comments (21)
Maybe Barry can get his pal... (Below threshold)1. Posted by GarandFan | July 5, 2010 12:58 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Maybe Barry can get his pals in Hollywood to set up a sound stage and then declare that we've landed on Mars. Barry could then stroll out onto the scene and 'welcome' the NASA people as they arrive.
You know that 33% of Democrats would believe it possible.
1. Posted by GarandFan | July 5, 2010 12:58 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 12:58
2. Posted by davidt | July 5, 2010 1:26 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Maybe Obama will apologize to the Muslims for the USA walking on the moon.
2. Posted by davidt | July 5, 2010 1:26 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 13:26
3. Posted by retired military | July 5, 2010 1:50 PM | Score: 1 (5 votes cast)
Here Rev Lee Ward Wright let me save you the trouble.
Republicans were against NASA funding until a black man became President.
3. Posted by retired military | July 5, 2010 1:50 PM |
Score: 1 (5 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 13:50
4. Posted by 914 | July 5, 2010 1:53 PM | Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
Just more of Barry takin us all to Utopianus to wipe up after the clingon's in D.C.
Next up, Barry to state Constitution illegal cause there were no muslims included in the signing.
4. Posted by 914 | July 5, 2010 1:53 PM |
Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 13:53
5. Posted by 914 | July 5, 2010 2:10 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Oops , should have said 'ratified by states'. was thinking Declaration of Independence. Oh well as far as whats going on today in D.C. both appear to be meaningless.
5. Posted by 914 | July 5, 2010 2:10 PM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 14:10
6. Posted by Rick13 | July 5, 2010 2:27 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Can you imagine what Obama would have done with NASA had one of the Shuttle's exploded during his administration? Oh wait, he did it anyway!
6. Posted by Rick13 | July 5, 2010 2:27 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 14:27
7. Posted by irongrampa | July 5, 2010 2:51 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Nice to know we (you and I) will be paying for another exercise in idiocy.
7. Posted by irongrampa | July 5, 2010 2:51 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 14:51
8. Posted by 914 | July 5, 2010 3:04 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
I knew this was going to be a bad presidency but not even 2 years in and this much destruction and waste has been done..
November is too damn far away.
8. Posted by 914 | July 5, 2010 3:04 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 15:04
9. Posted by hermie | July 5, 2010 4:52 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Unfortunately, we don't know how much of our tax dollars are going to be wasted on this 'esteem building'.
Will this 'esteem building' include showing muslims how to better guide rockets into Israel?
9. Posted by hermie | July 5, 2010 4:52 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 16:52
10. Posted by 914 | July 5, 2010 5:04 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
#9
You bet.
Al Gore had his monk's, Barry's got his Mullah's.
10. Posted by 914 | July 5, 2010 5:04 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 17:04
11. Posted by 914 | July 5, 2010 6:20 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
bryanD
You can always be counted on to make an ass of yourself no matter how hard you try not to.
11. Posted by 914 | July 5, 2010 6:20 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 18:20
12. Posted by David Spence | July 5, 2010 6:25 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Their problem is not a lack of self-esteem, it's that they have too much self-esteem-a sense of entitlement as big as the Sahara. They behave as they please, anyone and everyone with an opposing viewpoint be damned. They're only true emotion is resentment. They are a "one-trick pony" and we keep falling for that same trick. They respond with outrage every single time their desires are met with the least objection or modification. And the worst is not that they demand, it's that we genuflect so as not to give the least offense. Mosque at Ground Zero? Propose that they relocate it 5-feet to the left and you may as well advocate firebombing it during afternoon prayers. Fake a report that someone, somewhere a non-Muslim flushed the "most holy Koran" down a toilet and they'll cue up the rock-throwers for the quisling western media. We have known the true perfidy of this "religion" since the Crusades and it's time to grow a pair and give these animals their long-overdue 1000-year thrashing. Call the bluff on these cowards at every turn-whatever they want, our response should be the exact opposite. I'm so reminded of the Monty Python character, Brave Sir Robin:
Brave Sir Robin ran away.
Bravely ran away, away!
When danger reared its ugly head,
He bravely turned his tail and fled.
Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about
And gallantly he chickened out.
Bravely taking to his feet
He beat a very brave retreat,
Bravest of the brave, Sir Robin!
12. Posted by David Spence | July 5, 2010 6:25 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 18:25
13. Posted by bostinks2 | July 5, 2010 7:02 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Oh Great Obama starting a new frontier... inspireing muslims to be Klingons
13. Posted by bostinks2 | July 5, 2010 7:02 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 19:02
14. Posted by Zelsdorf Ragshaft III | July 5, 2010 7:04 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
I look forward to the day this bafoon of a President is removed from office.
14. Posted by Zelsdorf Ragshaft III | July 5, 2010 7:04 PM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 19:04
15. Posted by RScott | July 5, 2010 8:17 PM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
I hear that according to some famous collection of writings that the sun was found to have set in a well. Not exactly Newton or Feynman but it's a contribution.
15. Posted by RScott | July 5, 2010 8:17 PM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on July 5, 2010 20:17
16. Posted by Rakhi | July 6, 2010 12:05 AM | Score: -1 (3 votes cast)
Thank you for your article. Obama Mal-Administration's hate of this nation's greatness . Recent interview that his "foremost" mission as the head of America's space exploration agency. I hope you will continuo your informative post.
16. Posted by Rakhi | July 6, 2010 12:05 AM |
Score: -1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 6, 2010 00:05
17. Posted by Jim Addison | July 6, 2010 2:35 AM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Sometimes Obama just becomes so surreal I feel like I must be having a nightmare, and will wake up to a normal world.
If someone had predicted exactly this policy back during the 2008 campaign, he would have been labeled insane, some kind of racist hater islamophobe.
17. Posted by Jim Addison | July 6, 2010 2:35 AM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 6, 2010 02:35
18. Posted by Brian Richard Allen | July 6, 2010 6:17 AM | Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
... a thousand years ago, Islam was the (murderous ideology) of the enlightened, the educated (and of) the technologically advanced ...
Rubbish.
Care t show us even one example of that ridiculous assertion?
Truth is that although it has from time-to-time temporarily owned some of that it has murderously conquered, (Byzantine architecture, for example) Islam has never been other than in morbid envy of and the psychopathological destroyer of enlightenment, of education and of technical advancement. And, at every opportunity, of the enlightened, the educated and of the technologically advanced.
18. Posted by Brian Richard Allen | July 6, 2010 6:17 AM |
Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on July 6, 2010 06:17
19. Posted by JLawson | July 6, 2010 7:26 AM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
I heard about this, and thought - there must be some misunderstanding. NASA? Being responsible for touchy-feely 'self-esteem' OUTREACH to the Islamic world?
NASA? WTF?
I'd think this was a joke - but no chance, right?
So... is this part of an exceedingly subtle plan by Obama? Or just a case where he doesn't have a friggin' clue and thinks that just because he's the President everyone will do whatever he says and it's all going to work out just the way he thinks it will?
19. Posted by JLawson | July 6, 2010 7:26 AM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 6, 2010 07:26
20. Posted by bostinks2 | July 6, 2010 9:38 AM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Obama (Borg) attempt at assimulating muslim parasites to take over and infect The greatest nation on gods green earth.
20. Posted by bostinks2 | July 6, 2010 9:38 AM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 6, 2010 09:38
21. Posted by hcddbz | July 6, 2010 9:03 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
They did better job of preserving the Greek works which they had access to during the Dark Ages.
They acquired zero from Hidu.
When the Western World gained access to those documents they expanded on it and kept building for hundreds of years. Which lead to the enlightenment, industrial revolution , Digital Age .
Durring that time Islam has produced many works on Islam.
21. Posted by hcddbz | July 6, 2010 9:03 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 6, 2010 21:03