NASA's new mission: public relations w/ the "Muslim world"

[Clinton Huxley]

I see this as a storm in a tea-cup.

NASA budget for 2010 about $18 billion.

Amount spent on "education", which is where I guess the "making muslims feel good about themselves" program budget will come from - $150 million. So you are talking of a fraction of 1% of NASA's overal budget spent on education and a fraction of that spent on muslim goodwill.

Probably not worth getting worked up over....

[Coito ergo sum]

This just looks like standard Public Engagement with Science and Technology to me, the kind of outreach that all science organisations need to do in order to carry the public (who foot the bills after all) with them.

It's not standard public engagement. There is no necessity to placate the feelings of Muslims in order to secure funding. Further, one does not make it the "foremost mission" of NASA to engage in public relations. That's just so much apologetics for a complete crock-of-shit decision. Obama doesn't value the US space program. Period.

It's nothing that unusual these days. With regards to the Muslim angle, it does seem a little odd but you could argue that a Muslim who is inspired to become an engineer, rocket scientist or mathematician by this NASA agenda is a win for reason.....

What? A Muslim who is inspired to become an engineer by this NASA agenda is a win for reason? NASA's job is not to score "wins for reason" by converting Muslims to science. NASA's job is to conduct "aeronautical and space activities." "Aeronautical and space activities" means (A) research into, and the solution of, problems of flight within and outside the Earth's atmosphere, (B) the development, construction, testing, and operation for research purposes of aeronautical and space vehicles, (C) the operation of a space transportation system including the Space Shuttle, upper stages, space platforms, and related equipment, and (D) such other activities as may be required for the exploration of space.

Conspicuously absent is either the goal or the instruction to: make Muslims feel good about their historical contributions to science.

[JimC]

I see this as a storm in a tea-cup.

NASA budget for 2010 about $18 billion.

Amount spent on "education", which is where I guess the "making muslims feel good about themselves" program budget will come from - $150 million. So you are talking of a fraction of 1% of NASA's overal budget spent on education and a fraction of that spent on muslim goodwill.

Probably not worth getting worked up over....

Problem is, if the quote in the OP is accurate (and not out of context), it wasn't just a additional minor goal, it was one of the 3 main goals...

And for the life of me, I don't see why gaining "muslim goodwill" shpould be important to NASA... As a State Department initiative, perhaps...

I like NASA, I wrote to them when I was 10 and they sent me an excellent poster of the Moon.

Well, that falls under inspiring children in science. CES may not agree with me here, but that goal need not stop at US borders...

[Coito ergo sum]

I see this as a storm in a tea-cup.

That's a misunderstanding of the magnitude of the issue, unless you're talking about a really big teacup.

NASA budget for 2010 about $18 billion.

Amount spent on "education", which is where I guess the "making muslims feel good about themselves" program budget will come from - $150 million.

That's past data. Obama just gave Bolden the instruction a couple of months ago r that he is to make "Making Muslims feel good about their historical contributions to science" the "foremost mission." That's the words Bolden used - "FOREMOST mission."

Couple that with the destruction of the Constellation program and the Mars program, and the loss of something on the order of 15,000 space program jobs, and you get a clear picture.

So you are talking of a fraction of 1% of NASA's overal budget spent on education and a fraction of that spent on muslim goodwill.

No, we're talking about a policy change this year that makes Muslim outreach one of NASA's FOREMOST GOALS.

Probably not worth getting worked up over....

Only if you don't understand what else the present administration has done to destroy the space program.

[Clinton Huxley]

I think you've got a bit of a narrow-minded and overly-literal view of the way large science organisations work, CES.

Indeed the remit is to conduct space research, and this is where a large part of NASA's budget goes.Most of the rest iwill be spent on salaries and maintenance of buildings. Spending a bit of small change on some PR does not detract from this.

This approach may well inspire a child in Pakistan to become a scientist, who subsequently emigrates to the US, gets a job with NASA and invents an amazing new way to recycle astronaut shit that makes a manned mission to Jupiter feasible.

[Coito ergo sum]

Well, that falls under inspiring children in science. CES may not agree with me here, but that goal need not stop at US borders...

The alarming trend here is the destruction of the space program in general, the loss of Constellation, no base at Clavius, no Mars mission. We got lip service that placated liberal reporters who, with zero specifics, swallowed the line uncritically that Obama was not "cancelling" the programs, but rather he was doing some sort of rework to make it better. The result, of course, has been cancellation, layoffs and no changes to NASA except the making self-esteem of Muslims and other outreach programs the FOREMOST missions of NASA.

We thought Bush was anti-science? Obama is doing more damage to science than Bush ever did.

[Clinton Huxley]

I see this as a storm in a tea-cup.

That's a misunderstanding of the magnitude of the issue, unless you're talking about a really big teacup.

NASA budget for 2010 about $18 billion.

Amount spent on "education", which is where I guess the "making muslims feel good about themselves" program budget will come from - $150 million.

That's past data. Obama just gave Bolden the instruction a couple of months ago r that he is to make "Making Muslims feel good about their historical contributions to science" the "foremost mission." That's the words Bolden used - "FOREMOST mission."

Couple that with the destruction of the Constellation program and the Mars program, and the loss of something on the order of 15,000 space program jobs, and you get a clear picture.

So you are talking of a fraction of 1% of NASA's overal budget spent on education and a fraction of that spent on muslim goodwill.

No, we're talking about a policy change this year that makes Muslim outreach one of NASA's FOREMOST GOALS.

Probably not worth getting worked up over....

Only if you don't understand what else the present administration has done to destroy the space program.

This labelling of the approach as a "Foremost mission" is also just a bit of PR. If a new NASA budget comes out and "Muslim outreach" has been alloted billions of dollars then you may have a point.....

I think the bit about the administration trying to destroy the space program is a separate issue to this PR one.

[Clinton Huxley]

This is the news piece :-

Source: Fox News

Uh-oh......

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a recent interview that his "foremost" mission as the head of America's space exploration agency is to improve relations with the Muslim world.

Though international diplomacy would seem well outside NASA's orbit, Bolden said in an interview with Al Jazeera that strengthening those ties was among the top tasks President Obama assigned him. He said better interaction with the Muslim world would ultimately advance space travel.

So in an interview with a basically Muslims news outlet, Bolden said one of his foremost tasks was to engage with muslims?
Diplomatic but hardly earth-shattering. It's a bit of glad-handing.

"It is a matter of trying to reach out and get the best of all worlds, if you will, and there is much to be gained by drawing in the contributions that are possible from the Muslim (nations)," he said. He held up the International Space Station as a model, praising the contributions there from the Russians and the Chinese.

Praises international collaboration, which given the expense of space travel, is a no-brainer.

I see nothing controversial or even very interesting in this article...

[Coito ergo sum]

I think you've got a bit of a narrow-minded and overly-literal view of the way large science organisations work, CES.

I think you don't understand what NASA does.

Indeed the remit is to conduct space research, and this is where a large part of NASA's budget goes.Most of the rest iwill be spent on salaries and maintenance of buildings. Spending a bit of small change on some PR does not detract from this.

There has been a fundamental change in policy which is not just a "small bit of PR."

This approach may well inspire a child in Pakistan to become a scientist,

Who gives a flying fuck?

who subsequently emigrates to the US, gets a job with NASA and invents an amazing new way to recycle astronaut shit that makes a manned mission to Jupiter feasible.

NASA is laying off, because we're cutting and cancelling our "aeronautical and space" programs. And, there are plenty of American kids who could be inspired.

Look, if this "Muslim outreach" was just a bullet point part of the PR campaign, I wouldn't be as upset about it. It is not that - it is the foremost mission of NASA according to Bolden and the President of the United States." It also comes on the heels of the cancellation of major space programs that really would fucking "inspire people." People are inspired by "accomplishments" - not namby pamby advertising campaigns and PR blitzes.

Further, what the fuck would be the reaction among atheists and rationalists if the "foremost policy" of NASA was to make CHRISTIANS feel good about historical CHRISTIAN contributions toward science. What if Bush had made that the "foremost mission" of NASA? Would that be a storm in a teacup to you?

This is yet another insidious entanglement of government with religion. Obama is expanding faith based government programs, expanding government sponsorship of religious schools, expanding government handouts to religious "charities," and now linking NASA policy with religion.

Query - is it unconstitutional, under US law, for the President to make bolstering the self esteem of a particular religious group the "foremost mission" of a government administration? What if the "foremost mission" of the Department of Labor became "making Christians feel good about their historical contributions to the work force?" What if the DEA's foremost goal became, "Making Catholics feel good about their historical opposition to drug use?" After all, if we could inspire just one Namibian Christian to want to get an education and a job, then that would be a victory right there. And, if we could inspire just one Italian Catholic to stay off drugs, that would be a victory right there.

Making a religion-based public relations goal the "foremost mission" of NASA is no less ludicrous than making it the foremost mission of any other government agency or administration, and the fact that it's directed at the fucking atrocity known as Islam is no better than directing at the nonsense known as Christianity.

[Coito ergo sum]

This is the news piece :-

Source: Fox News

Uh-oh......

Bolden's own words.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a recent interview that his "foremost" mission as the head of America's space exploration agency is to improve relations with the Muslim world.

Though international diplomacy would seem well outside NASA's orbit, Bolden said in an interview with Al Jazeera that strengthening those ties was among the top tasks President Obama assigned him. He said better interaction with the Muslim world would ultimately advance space travel.

So in an interview with a basically Muslims news outlet, Bolden said one of his foremost tasks was to engage with muslims?
Diplomatic but hardly earth-shattering. It's a bit of glad-handing.

"It is a matter of trying to reach out and get the best of all worlds, if you will, and there is much to be gained by drawing in the contributions that are possible from the Muslim (nations)," he said. He held up the International Space Station as a model, praising the contributions there from the Russians and the Chinese.

Praises international collaboration, which given the expense of space travel, is a no-brainer.

I see nothing controversial or even very interesting in this article...

Then you haven't thought it through, and don't understand the context of Obama's destruction of the space program.

SILLY ME. I thought America's unparalleled space program (before the present administration began dismantling it) was a triumph of American ingenuity, technology, vision and boldness. Instead, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says its "foremost mission" is not returning to the moon, or completing a mission to Mars; rather it is improving relations with the Muslim world. Bolden says President Obama told him he also wants NASA to encourage children to study science and math, but isn't that best done by applying science and math to a robust space program?



Obama is boldly going where no president has gone before. It is a continuation of the president's subjugation of himself (bowing to foreign leaders) and the country he is charged with leading by obsequiously kowtowing to a people for whom advancement to the Middle Ages would be a step up.

The president and Bolden think it will improve relations with the Muslim world if we praise them for their work in math and science many centuries ago, but what has the Muslim world done for humanity lately? Female genital mutilation? Beheadings? Stoning of alleged adulterers? Honor killings? Terrorism? Death sentences to religious converts?

Perhaps if President Roosevelt had looked for some good in Adolf Hitler, World War II might have been avoided. Maybe it was our fault that Pearl Harbor was bombed. We should have appreciated the Japanese contribution to America (The cherry tree? Sushi?).

What is it about this president of ours? He doesn't seem to love America, at least not the America we knew prior to his coming to office. He pledged to change the country, but growing numbers think what we have is better than what he wants. Despite its past and current problems, most Americans are justifiably proud of their country and what it has stood for over the last 234 years. Regrets? Sure, we've had a few, but then again too few to mention compared to the blessings we have received and the blessing we have been to much of the world.

On April 3, 2009, President Obama addressed an adoring crowd in Strasbourg, France. He told them the United States "has failed to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world" and that America had "shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive" toward its allies.

Actually, it has been the other way around.

If NASA's "foremost mission" is no longer space, but a group-hug to Muslim nations, perhaps Congress should be asked to authorize such a change in purpose and reduce NASA's budget. Do most taxpayers want NASA to focus on inner space, rather than outer space? I doubt it. They can render their verdict on this and many other Obama policies come the November election.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I see this as a storm in a tea-cup.

NASA budget for 2010 about $18 billion.

Amount spent on "education", which is where I guess the "making muslims feel good about themselves" program budget will come from - $150 million. So you are talking of a fraction of 1% of NASA's overal budget spent on education and a fraction of that spent on muslim goodwill.

Probably not worth getting worked up over....

Ah, but getting worked up is the whole point of the OP.

[Clinton Huxley]

NASA is laying off, because we're cutting and cancelling our "aeronautical and space" programs.

Which is nothing to do with the OP. That's economic reality.

Look, if this "Muslim outreach" was just a bullet point part of the PR campaign, I wouldn't be as upset about it. It is not that - it is the foremost mission of NASA according to Bolden and the President of the United States."

I see this as a bit of spin. You can see which are the "foremost" missions by looking at the budget. The stuf with the most money spent on it? That's the foremost. If this get more than a few tens of millions of dollars, I'll eat my horse.

It also comes on the heels of the cancellation of major space programs that really would fucking "inspire people." People are inspired by "accomplishments" - not namby pamby advertising campaigns and PR blitzes.

I wouldn't disagree with you on the inspirational value of actual achievements but again this doesn't have anything to do wth the OP. Constellation wasn't cancelled to fund "Muslim outreach"....

Further, what the fuck would be the reaction among atheists and rationalists if the "foremost policy" of NASA was to make CHRISTIANS feel good about historical CHRISTIAN contributions toward science. What if Bush had made that the "foremost mission" of NASA? Would that be a storm in a teacup to you?

I'd agree that the terms of the engagement here are regretable but I guess such nations see themselves as "Muslim world" so it's a not-illogical label to use.

This is yet another insidious entanglement of government with religion. Obama is expanding faith based government programs, expanding government sponsorship of religious schools, expanding government handouts to religious "charities," and now linking NASA policy with religion.

I've no reason to doubt any of this.

Making a religion-based public relations goal the "foremost mission" of NASA is no less ludicrous than making it the foremost mission of any other government agency or administration, and the fact that it's directed at the fucking atrocity known as Islam is no better than directing at the nonsense known as Christianity.

Proof of the pudding, dear boy. I doubt this "foremost mission" will amount to more than a few posters and photo opportunities in Riyadh.....

[Clinton Huxley]

I see this as a storm in a tea-cup.

NASA budget for 2010 about $18 billion.

Amount spent on "education", which is where I guess the "making muslims feel good about themselves" program budget will come from - $150 million. So you are talking of a fraction of 1% of NASA's overal budget spent on education and a fraction of that spent on muslim goodwill.

Probably not worth getting worked up over....

Ah, but getting worked up is the whole point of the OP.

I couldn't help myself....

[Coito ergo sum]

I see this as a storm in a tea-cup.

NASA budget for 2010 about $18 billion.

Amount spent on "education", which is where I guess the "making muslims feel good about themselves" program budget will come from - $150 million. So you are talking of a fraction of 1% of NASA's overal budget spent on education and a fraction of that spent on muslim goodwill.

Probably not worth getting worked up over....

Ah, but getting worked up is the whole point of the OP.

We should be worked up about nonsense like this. How worked up would people get if Bush had the former NASA administrator announce that the foremost mission of NASA was to make Christians feel good about their historical contributions?

Yeah - I'm worked up, because what the Obama Administration is doing to science and the space program is nothing short of astonishing, and disgusting.

[Clinton Huxley]

NASA is not about getting to the Moon or Mars, its about subsidising the US Aerospace industry indirectly.....