Space Program Slump–picture of health care reform?
Aug 16th, 2009 by David Anderson
Let’s go fly around. That is the message of a blue ribbon panel. We can’t afford to set up moon missions, but we could just go fly around. The panel says that even though we were able to reach the moon in eight years when we had to invent the technology, we can’t reach it in 20 years when we do. It proposed that we just fly around outside of earth orbit and maybe one day touch and go on Phoebe. The research value and inspiration value of the program are left on a cutting room floor of a committee report. We can’t seem to say no or say yes so we just dribble out billions.
This is typical design by committee. Our government is not one which knows either how to cut bait or reel it in. It just spends money to make everyone happy even if it doesn’t accomplish the goal. That part of what people fear with government based health care. The White House abandonment of the public option today is a good start. It will not be the victory that opponents think if government panels mandate every aspect of insurance. They may not be government owned, but they will still be government run. Our nation has benefited by the rapid advance of medicine. If we have to subject every advance to government benefit panels, we will likely get the compromise riddled nonsense that is seen in the modern space program. It will be a lot of flying and no destination.
“Let’s just open him up, and look at his heart. We’ll learn a lot.”