Space: The Government Frontier - Politics and Economics

This year, the U.S. finished upgrading its network of weather-forecasting technologies and its emergency-communications programs, meaning the National Weather Service (N.W.S.) can issue more accurate and timely emergency alerts. Many commentators have remarked that, given the physical devastation caused by the tornado, the death toll in Oklahoma seems remarkably low. “They’re right,” said Heidi Cullen, formerly of the Weather Channel and now the chief climatologist at Climate Central. “And I think one big reason for that is the government’s investment in Doppler radars with dual-polarization, which allow us to detect dangerous storm systems more quickly and precisely than before. We’re also much better at forecasting these events long in advance, up to about a week, because decades of investment in weather research and improved technological systems have given us better, higher resolution models.”

Have you hugged your government today?

05-25-2013 , 06:18 PM

Low Key

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free market would have got that **** in place much quicker and more efficiently

05-25-2013 , 06:46 PM

zikzak

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Low Key

free market would have got that **** in place much quicker and more efficiently

They probably will, actually. Starting in the next few years.

Of course they can only do so now because 140 years of government spending on weather forecasting, satellites and related technology created the knowledge base to work from.

05-25-2013 , 09:06 PM

ikestoys

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Quote:

Originally Posted by zikzak

Definitely wouldn't have happened without governments! ALL HAIL THE INVISIBLE SKY GOVERNMENT!

05-25-2013 , 09:28 PM

Trolly McTrollson

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ikestoys

Definitely wouldn't have happened without governments!

Right, the public sector was juuuuuust about to get around to developing satellites when the government torched their labs and beat them to the punch. All hail the nonexistent anarchist space program!

05-25-2013 , 09:43 PM

BigPoppa

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Clearly there's so much money to be made by warning poor people in trailer parks about oncoming tornadoes that the govt really need not be involved.

05-25-2013 , 09:45 PM

ikestoys

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Trolly McTrollson

Lol you're pretty confused.

Btw the private sector is doing some great work in space.

05-25-2013 , 10:00 PM

pvn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Trolly McTrollson

god this is the dumbest argument ever, totally ignorant of opportunity cost.

05-25-2013 , 10:12 PM

Trolly McTrollson

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ikestoys

Lol you're pretty confused.

Btw the private sector is doing some great work in space.

lololololo the private sector is piggybacking on top of decades of federal research. BTW, part of my work involves space electronics, I'm aware of what goes on in the private sector.

But you're right, I can't disprove what would have happened in your hypothetical ACtopia or in other fictional societies that have never existed in much the same way that I can't prove there isn't an invisible pink unicorn in your garage. All I can do is point out is that in the for-real world NASA has led the way for space research.

05-25-2013 , 11:01 PM

#10

pvn

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Yeah thank god the government stepped in there to fill all that demand for icbms and hey we got tang out of it, LOL WHERE ARE THE FREE MARKET WMDS???

05-25-2013 , 11:07 PM

#11

zikzak

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Quote:

Originally Posted by pvn

Yeah thank god the government stepped in there to fill all that demand for icbms and hey we got tang out of it, LOL WHERE ARE THE FREE MARKET WMDS???

Can't you just accept that something more or less worked out fine? We spent 83 gazillion dollars on Neil Armstrong's vacation, now private enterprise is in a position to take over those services at a lower cost than Uncle Sammy can provide them. Everybody benefits.

I know it isn't all axiomatic and stuff, but in a terribly complex world of 7 billion people, those aren't bad results at all.

05-25-2013 , 11:13 PM

#12

pvn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by zikzak

I'm not saying it was a huge problem. People are acting like the space program somehow highlights a huge hole in free markets and those people have tons of really bad assumptions.

05-25-2013 , 11:15 PM

#13

pvn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by zikzak

Oh and like everyone else, you're missing something too. Not everyone benefits. A lot of resources got eaten up because a bunch of people had a ego problem and wanted to plant a flag on a rock.

Those resources had better uses.

05-25-2013 , 11:19 PM

#14

zikzak

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Did they in the long run? Show your work.

05-25-2013 , 11:22 PM

#15

[Phill]

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Space travel is the most important thing mankind has ever done and will ever do when we perfect it.

05-25-2013 , 11:29 PM

#16

Happy_Fish

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Errr.....maybe.

05-25-2013 , 11:31 PM

#17

Trolly McTrollson

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Quote:

Originally Posted by pvn

Right. The system didn't work at literally 100% efficiently, therefore we should burn it all down and be an anarchy. Mind you, ACtopia has never come close to working once in the real world, BUT YOU CAN'T PROVE IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN BETTER!!!

05-25-2013 , 11:34 PM

#18

pvn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by zikzak

Did they in the long run? Show your work.

No u.

05-25-2013 , 11:35 PM

#19

pvn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by [Phill]

Space travel is the most important thing mankind has ever done and will ever do when we perfect it.

Yes, and? Go on, finish that thought.

05-25-2013 , 11:36 PM

#20

pvn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Trolly McTrollson

So you agree that it isn't some
slam dunk LOL FREE MARKET example?

The rest of your post is just an elaborate new-wookie-rule violation.

05-25-2013 , 11:40 PM

#21

Riverman

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pvn,

Step your game up. Dozens of posts per day calling other people stupid is not good posting.

05-25-2013 , 11:44 PM

#22

pvn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverman

pvn,

Step your game up. Dozens of posts per day calling other people stupid is not good posting.

Cool story bro, learned it from you.

05-26-2013 , 05:50 AM

#23

LirvA

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Quote:

Originally Posted by zikzak

How the Government Saved Lives in Moore, Oklahoma

Have you hugged your government today?

An interesting story:

The other day, my professor called me, and said he was almost converted to Anarchism in a single day. He is an organizer of a student group at my school, and they got together and wanted to help people out in moore. He said it was nothing but red tape bureaucracy. He said he felt like if the government weren't there, people could get things done, and help people. But with the government there, they just messed everything up, and everything got bogged down in red tape, and no one could help anyone.

He's a hard core liberal fwiw.