Category Archives: Media Criticism

The Heinlein Quote, Visualized

Bad Luck

Here’s the quote, for those unfamiliar: “Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty. This is known as “bad luck.

Oh, and just to remind that not only do tax-rate cuts not cause financial crises and recessions, but the wars didn’t cause the deficit or debt increase.

Wars Didn't Cause Deficits

It’s a shame that Kelly Ayotte didn’t have that chart handy yesterday when Governor O’Malley spewed his stupid ignorance. Or lie. Or whatever it was.

Economic Ignoramus?

…or liar?

Governor O’Malley on Fox News Sunday, in an attempt to defend the president, said that it “was not true” that he hadn’t cut the deficit in half as he promised. How? By confusing the deficit with the debt. He said that when the president came into office it was ten trillion, and it had only gone up six trillion since then, which was about “half.” Or something like that. It wasn’t clear what his point was, but it was clear that he either doesn’t know what the word deficit means, and the difference between it and the debt, or he thinks we’re stupid. Unfortunately, Senator Ayotte, while sticking to her guns, didn’t point out his ignorance in real time, nor did Chris Wallace.

Of course, being an economic ignoramus and a liar are not mutually exclusive by any means. Many Democrats seem to be both.

Singing My Tune

When I was at the AIAA meeting in Pasadena last month, Doug Stanley told me that this study would be coming out soon:

Commercial launch with propellant depot architectures significantly improves the extensibility and mission payload capability by providing a robust framework for all foreseen missions in the next 30 years. Adding to commercial launches every few months provides experienced and focused workforce to improve safety, operational learning for reduced costs and higher launch reliability, reduce launch costs depending on the government/industry business model. The depot framework allows multiple competitors for propellant delivery that is low-risk, hands-off way for international partners to contribute because it is not in the critical “mission” path and provides redundant alternatives available if critical launch failure occurs. The architecture provides reduced critical path mission complexity (Automated Rendezvous and Docking events, number of unique elements), provides additional mission flexibility by variable propellant load. Commonality with COTS/commercial/DoD vehicles will allow sharing of fixed costs between programs and “right-sized” vehicle for ISS, thus stimulate US and international commercial launch industry. Development risk is reduced by eliminating four space elements including the major Earth-to-orbit launch vehicle and solar electric propulsion transfer vehicle, large mass margins with current and proposed launch systems, and the Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer in-space technology demonstration program. Finally, the architecture creates powerful partners from commercial US industry and internationals that increases political sustainability of the overall program.

But other than that, it totally sucks.