Rocketforge

(In case you’re not a UNIX geek, the title of this article is the search and replace function in VI)

The official action that creates something like the Augustine Commission is the publication of a notice in the Federal Register. That happened yesterday and can be found here. The stated objectives for the commission are:

The identification and characterization of these options should address the following objectives:
(a) Expediting a new U.S. capability to support utilization of the International Space Station (ISS);
(b) supporting missions to the Moon and other destinations beyond low Earth orbit (LEO);
(c) stimulating commercial space flight capability; and
(d) fitting within the current budget profile for NASA exploration activities.

Now, if you are remotely familiar with US space policy, these objectives will seem very familiar. From President Bush’s Vision for Space Exploration we have the following goals and objectives:

• Implement a sustained and affordable human and robotic program to explore the solar system and
  beyond;
• Extend human presence across the solar system, starting with a human return to the Moon by the year 2020, in preparation for human exploration of Mars and other destinations;
• Develop the innovative technologies, knowledge, and infrastructures both to explore and to support
  decisions about the destinations for human exploration; and
• Promote international and commercial participation in exploration to further U.S. scientific, security,
  and economic interests.

The only real differences are that the new Commission is asked to look at ISS directly and commercialization and sustainability are given more prominence. These were mentioned in Bush’s VSE document but weren’t given the same prominence. Just as Bush did, Obama has created a Commission to figure out the details. Bush created the President’s Commission on Moon, Mars and Beyond which produced A Journey to Inspire, Innovate and Discover. In that report it outlines the charter objectives for the Commission as:

1. a science research agenda to be conducted on the Moon and other destinations as well as human and robotic science activities that advance our capacity to achieve the policy;
2. the exploration of technologies, demonstrations, and strategies, including the use of lunar and other in situ natural resources, that could be used for sustainable human and robotic exploration;
3. criteria that could be used to select future destinations for human exploration;
4. long-term organization options for managing implementation of space exploration activities;
5. the most appropriate and effective roles for potential private-sector and international participants in implementing the policy;
6. methods for optimizing space exploration activities to encourage the interest of America’s youth in studying and pursuing careers in mathematics, science, and engineering; and
7. management of the implementation of the policy within available resources.

So what’s the difference between then and now? The main one seems to be that Griffin chose to ignore much of that original Commission’s recommendations. He threw sustainability out the window and completely ignored that “Go as you can pay” finding. Given all of that, one would think that, sans a new section on closing the gap and recovering from the Whitehouse’s lack of oversight of Griffin, you should be able to load the Aldridge Commission report do a few search and replace operations with names and dates, and republish it as is. There are some things in the Aldridge Commission report that I didn’t agree with such as its assumption that manned space is still NASA’s purview. But all of this brings me back to 1) why was the Aldridge Commission report ignored and 2) what makes anyone think that Augustine’s report won’t also be ignored? What is different this time?

Until someone figures out how to route around Congress and the “standing army” issue nothing is going to change. If Augustine’s report is anything like the Aldridge Commission’s then it too will be ignored and NASA will keep going down the rat hole of bureaucratic institutionalization.

Hmm… Route around the problem… What a great idea!

Glenn Reynods linked to How David Beats Goliath and had this to say about it:

Is getting active in every Congressional district kind of like a full-court press? But don’t wait for elections: “Insurgents operate in real time.” Give ‘em something new to react to all the time. But it’s not easy: “Effort can trump ability—legs, in Saxe’s formulation, can overpower arms—because relentless effort is in fact something rarer than the ability to engage in some finely tuned act of motor coördination.” And remember this, too: “When the world has to play on Goliath’s terms, Goliath wins.”

This is part of what has bugged me about the Tea Parties I’ve been helping organize here in Atlanta and around the country. As we finished the first and started talking about the second one on April 15th, myself and others began asking what the protests were attempting to accomplish. The answer was exposure and getting fiscally conservative politicians elected. But both of those goals amounted to playing the game by Goliath’s rules. Modern protesting for media impact was invented by the left. And electing fiscally conservative representation assumes that the Tea Party movement reflects a majority of the electorate. Recent polls suggest it isn’t. Both amount to asking the other side’s permission to be relevant.

But whether or not you are a minority doesn’t matter. In today’s world its actually an advantage if played well. Taking Malcom Gladwell’s admonishment to play to your own strengths, lets do some analysis. What differentiates the people in the Tea Party movement from those in Goliath’s army?

1. We work. Hard.

One of the major complaints about the first tea party event was that it was on a week day which meant few people could come because of work. Most of the participants are between 30 and 60 and are in their prime working life. One of the reason’s Goliath’s Army can protest so well is that most have are young enough that taking time off from the Gap is relatively easy.

2. We pay taxes.

Because we work most of us earn enough to be above the “pay no income taxes due to deductions” line. That means the bulk of the income tax receipts to the IRS come from us. We may be the ones who are saddled with the burden but it also means we have a good bit of power if we decide to wield it.

3. We are geographically diverse.

We live in and have ties to “fly over country” that Goliath’s Army simply cannot relate to or easily access. Properly organized we can “flash mob” every middle of nowhere Congressman where ever he/she may be.

4. A good percentage of us are traditional single earner families.

That can mean that kids and mothers (or fathers) may have the time to do distributed activism kind of work. “Play dates” can be created where kids create the collateral that a subversive campaign needs.
Think about all of those can drives during World War II.

5. We are more patriotic.

While patriotism (”love of country”) does exist on the left, the majority of those waving flags, supporting troops, and going to July 4th celebrations are largely on the right.

6. We are more religious.

Self-identification as Christian and church attendance is higher among those on the right. Churches make a great community nucleus to build around.

7. We are more respectful of and comfortable with the military (and vice versa).

Former military people understand organization, motivation, duty and honor. By using their skills and motivating them to become involved we can create a very strong and reliable organizational background.

8. <insert something here>

What do you, as a Tea Party participant, think should be added?

In all of the cases Malcom Gladwell discussed, the guy at a disadvantage was also in the minority. The left has captured public education and turned it into an indoctrination system. Because of that we may not be in the majority. Even if we are, that doesn’t mean we can’t get what we want. If anything the past century has been about minority groups demanding and getting what they want. Its time for us to demand that and do what it takes to get it.