Maintaining U.S. Space Primacy during China’s Rise
November 11, 2011 by John K. Yi
An artistic rendition of the Dream Chaser vehicle launching into space. Image via Sierra Nevada
Has space exploration just become too costly, politically unappealing, or both? In the 1960’s, the U.S. and the then-Soviet Union, whose publics where fueled by the tensions of the Cold War, found themselves as pioneers of space travel and exploration technology. Now with a space race that’s no more, the political will and pursuit of going into “the beyond” has garnered a lackluster appeal by the public and policy makers. And it’s showing in both Washington and Moscow.
This past September at a recent Congressional hearing, Neil Armstrong, the iconic figure in space exploration history, had nothing but rebuke for the current NASA program, calling it “embarrassing and unacceptable.” His fellow colleague Eugene Cernan described the current U.S. space program as “on a path to decay.”
Thinking out of the Box
November 11, 2011 by Mohammad I. Aslam
Colin Powell with the Iraqi Governing Council. From left to right: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim; Dr. Adnan Pachachi, President, Iraqi Governing Council; Ambassador Paul Bremer, Presidential Envoy to Iraq; Colin Powell and Dr. Ahmed Chalabi
Think tanks, tasked with providing impetus and direction for policymakers, have consistently led policymakers down precarious roads concerning policy towards Iraq and now Iran. The influence-peddling think tank phenomenon has no doubt become an integral part of our political landscape. On paper, it’s not hard to see why.
They direct public life in a way that is seen as people-centric with the intention of increasing government support for common causes by making legislators more susceptible to popular demand. Global warming, the plight of the poor, and laws protecting us from greedy banks and corporations are the think-tank issues that lead us to believe that they represent the common man.
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