NASA's New Objective for the Space Program

[JackC]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07 ... s-muslims/


So Obama's NASA Administrator says the prime objective of the space program is to reach out to Muslims to make them feel proud about their contribitutions to science (hundred of years ago I guess) !

I guess that this is just more feel good BS from Obama, but it is sad that
his compulsion to do this sort of thing has to extend to an agency that used to have noble goals and made us all proud.

Barely a day goes by when these guys don't remind everyone what a bunch of clowns they are. Can't wait to hear Biden's take on this important initiative!

[ch1525]

I'm really looking forward to Jbuck or RebLem's defense on this one. I'm sure they will come up with something!!!

Seriously, this one pisses me off more than most of his bull.

[Agnes Selby]

[quote="JackC"]http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07 ... s-muslims/


So Obama's NASA Administrator says the prime objective of the space program is to reach out to Muslims to make them feel proud about their contribitutions to science (hundred of years ago I guess) !

Is this a joke?

[jbuck919]

Well, my first observation is that the medieval Muslim world to which I assume he is referring made no "historic" contributions to engineering. I'm not absolutely sure about that, but I can't think of anything they did that the Romans had not already done. I mean, they couldn't even breach the walls of Constantinople before 1453, and even then someone opened a gate for them. In math, there was a little more, but as with contributions from other cultures, if the math is mentioned at all, the real significance of what they did is often lost in the placating rush to portray all contributions as equally important. In science, it depends on how you feel about Betelgeuse vs. Alpha Orionis.

I do get a certain sense of dismay out of all this. I don't see any particular reason why improving relations with the Islamic world should be part of NASA's mission. I don't think either Bolden or Obama (if in fact he is conveying something Obama wanted him to) should be going out of his way with such a gross distortion just to please a foreign reporter working for a biased news agency.

And finally, I will note for what it is worth that Bolden appears to be African-American. The terms he uses ("in order to feel good about themselves") reflect a school of thought on how young people in his culture should be taught history in order to raise self-esteem. If a a collective inferiority complex requiring an injection of cultural pride is or ever has been a characteristic of the Muslim world, I am not aware of it. I wouldn't be surprised if any listeners who picked up on it felt themselves being patronized.

[diegobueno]

I'm not going to venture an opinion until I read about it in a reliable news source.

[JackC]

I'm not going to venture an opinion until I read about it in a reliable news source.

Well, here, watch it come out of the horse's (ass's) mouth.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/ ... tions.html

[diegobueno]

I just find it extremely odd that

1) The only reports of this speech are coming from Fox News and Al-Jazeera.
2) There's nary a word about reaching out to Muslims on all of NASA's own web site. If NASA really has been instructed to make reaching out to Muslims its prime goal, and the director of the agency has really bought into that, then there should be something on its web site to reflect that policy. But there's nothing of the sort there. You can read Obama's address setting out his own vision of NASA's future here:

http://www.nasa.gov/news/media/trans/ob ... trans.html

You'll look in vain for anything having to do with muslims.

I have to assume that either this is a fraud, or Bolden is speaking totally out of line and should take his place along with McChrystal among the unemployed.

[ch1525]

I'm not going to venture an opinion until I read about it in a reliable news source.

And what would you consider a reliable news source?! NYT? Huffington Post? Daily Kos?!?!

[johnQpublic]

How about a "real" news org like ABC?

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch ... tives.html

July 06, 2010

The White House and NASA today defended comments by National Aeronautic Space Administration administrator Charles Bolden about reaching out to the Muslim world – comments that conservatives criticized as undermining NASA’s mission.

[keaggy220]

Krauthammer's take...

[JackC]

I just find it extremely odd that

1) The only reports of this speech are coming from Fox News and Al-Jazeera.
2) There's nary a word about reaching out to Muslims on all of NASA's own web site. If NASA really has been instructed to make reaching out to Muslims its prime goal, and the director of the agency has really bought into that, then there should be something on its web site to reflect that policy. But there's nothing of the sort there. You can read Obama's address setting out his own vision of NASA's future here:

http://www.nasa.gov/news/media/trans/ob ... trans.html

You'll look in vain for anything having to do with muslims.

I have to assume that either this is a fraud, or Bolden is speaking totally out of line and should take his place along with McChrystal among the unemployed.

Geez, I know it is hard to believe that such an idiot could be NASA administrator, but if you can't believe your own eyes and ears, what is it going to take to convince you???????

As to being "out of line," he expressly stated that OBAMA gave him that directive, and the White House has stood behind his remarks - so there will be no firing.

Obama's need to pander in this unbelievably stupid, silly fashion is disturbing.

[Agnes Selby]

Perhaps Obama believes in the great achievements of
the Muslims.

Perhaps children in Islamic Indonesian schools were as indoctrinated
as I was in Czechoslovakia under Communism when we were
taught that both Beethoven and Shakespeare were Russians.

Anyhoo, it will be a surprise to the Australian and American scientists at
Tidbinbilla Tracking Station in Canberra to learn of NASA's new objectives.

[JackC]

Perhaps Obama believes in the great achievements of
the Muslims.

Perhaps children in Islamic Indonesian schools were as indoctrinated
as I was in Czechoslovakia under Communism when we were
taught that both Beethoven and Shakespeare were Russians.

Anyhoo, it will be a surprise to the Australian and American scientists at
Tidbinbilla Tracking Station in Canberra to learn of NASA's new objectives.

I loved the movie "The Dish", with Sam Neill, about the Apollo 11 landing. Did you see it?

[keaggy220]

Perhaps Obama believes in the great achievements of
the Muslims.

Perhaps children in Islamic Indonesian schools were as indoctrinated
as I was in Czechoslovakia under Communism when we were
taught that both Beethoven and Shakespeare were Russians.

Anyhoo, it will be a surprise to the Australian and American scientists at
Tidbinbilla Tracking Station in Canberra to learn of NASA's new objectives.

I loved the movie "The Dish", with Sam Neill, about the Apollo 11 landing. Did you see it?

Pleasantly surprised by this movie.

[ch1525]

[Agnes Selby]

Perhaps Obama believes in the great achievements of
the Muslims.

Perhaps children in Islamic Indonesian schools were as indoctrinated
as I was in Czechoslovakia under Communism when we were
taught that both Beethoven and Shakespeare were Russians.

Anyhoo, it will be a surprise to the Australian and American scientists at
Tidbinbilla Tracking Station in Canberra to learn of NASA's new objectives.

I loved the movie "The Dish", with Sam Neill, about the Apollo 11 landing. Did you see it?

Yes, I did. And loved it too. I also love the fact that you Americans can
take pride in your great achievement with the space program and that our
"Dish" was instrumental in some part in achieving those goals.

[JackC]

Perhaps Obama believes in the great achievements of
the Muslims.

Perhaps children in Islamic Indonesian schools were as indoctrinated
as I was in Czechoslovakia under Communism when we were
taught that both Beethoven and Shakespeare were Russians.

Anyhoo, it will be a surprise to the Australian and American scientists at
Tidbinbilla Tracking Station in Canberra to learn of NASA's new objectives.

I loved the movie "The Dish", with Sam Neill, about the Apollo 11 landing. Did you see it?

Yes, I did. And loved it too. I also love the fact that you Americans can
take pride in your great achievement with the space program and that our
"Dish" was instrumental in some part in achieving those goals.

I don't know why and maybe I'm projecting, but I have always had the feeling that somehow Americans generally felt warmer and more akin to Australians than to any other people/country. I don't know if that is reciprocated.

[Agnes Selby]

Perhaps Obama believes in the great achievements of
the Muslims.

Perhaps children in Islamic Indonesian schools were as indoctrinated
as I was in Czechoslovakia under Communism when we were
taught that both Beethoven and Shakespeare were Russians.

Anyhoo, it will be a surprise to the Australian and American scientists at
Tidbinbilla Tracking Station in Canberra to learn of NASA's new objectives.

I loved the movie "The Dish", with Sam Neill, about the Apollo 11 landing. Did you see it?

Yes, I did. And loved it too. I also love the fact that you Americans can
take pride in your great achievement with the space program and that our
"Dish" was instrumental in some part in achieving those goals.

I don't know why and maybe I'm projecting, but I have always had the feeling that somehow Americans generally felt warmer and more akin to Australians than to any other people/country. I don't know if that is reciprocated.

I think it is. There are many Americans living in Australia and many
Australians living in the USA. We have much in common, not only the
language but also we too have come here as migrants at one time
or another. Of course, some came here as convicts in 1788 as is the case
of one lot of my grandkids' ancestry but our son's two children have Russian
and Irish grandparents on their mother's side. Needless to say, I
was born in Czechoslovakia of a mixed parentage.So you can see we
too are a "strange" lot. There are other sentiments as well. We have
fought alongside the Americans in two world wars and today have
troops in Afghanistan.

I have yet to come across any kind of resentment against Americans here
and I have encountered no animosity toward Australians in the 10 years
we lived in Philadelphia.

[Daisy]

Love the new NASA logo!