Inexcusable Policy - {Was: Re: Red Tape For SpaceShipTwo}

[Inat Hajduk <inathajduk@xxxxxxxxx>]

[Note: I?m pretty sure this might offend some of the
more partisan persuasion and I apologize in advance. 
My intent is not to post a partisan or off-topic
commentary but to respond to something I think is
really important and not the least bit frustrating of
course.  I would not post if I did not feel very
strongly about what I think the government is doing
wrong in this case.]

Thanks for the post Mark.

: The difficulties with export controls have emerged
despite the fact
: that British-owned Virgin Galactic plans to operate
its commercial
: spaceflight services initially in the United States.

: "I thought Britain was a relatively friendly
nation," Rutan told
: committee members, adding the export-control issues
also are
: affecting the financing for the project.

: "We have had to move away from the basic concept of
this being a
: foreign-funded development," he said.

Should have known, it was all too good to be true,
such a fast launch date?Of course, I?m sure we all
expected red tape to get in the way, what regulars on
this list would not?

The thing that somewhat surprises me is the
administrations lack of any movement on this?any
comments even? (Today's press conference would have
been a good time, especially to throw reporters and
the public a curve-ball in some bad times for the
admin.).  

Maybe it is still too early, perhaps ?free-marketeers?
that they supposedly are, something is still
forthcoming, but that they let it get to this point I
don?t think is a good sign.

Perhaps another thing some long-time list regulars
(and those with good memories ;) well you will now
anyway) will remember that I have no particular love
for Republicans of any sort (well the odd Senator
Chafee or McCain aside perhaps, though love is a very
strong word ;) or Democrats for that matter.  

This administration I find particularly odious.  I can
definitely say that I oppose every singly
issue/policy/attitude/rhetoric etc., et al ;) of this
administration virtually without exception?

Perhaps the one big exception is of course is the
administration?s space policy.  I think they did
pretty well in their handling of the Columbia accident
and have been good about promoting commercial space
and privatizing NASA.  Though I think a lot of this
support has been more rhetorical then directly
benefiting ?startups? and the fledging private space
industry (Scaled Composites, SpaceDev, etc.).

Again very qualified and limited support on my behalf
since I am not gung-ho on either count but I think if
done responsibly, in the interests of U.S. taxpayers,
such as opening the bidding process for contracts to
more -all?- parties and perhaps limiting the
influence-role-etc. of monster
pseudo-government-contractors like Lockheed, Boeing,
etc. they would have my support in that at least.

So now they (or their bureaucracy) are holding up a
technology transfer to Britain????  

Is not Britain the only major country in the
administrations ?Coalition of the Willing??  Is not
the United Kingdom the one significant and invaluable
(seriously now, Britain pulls out of Iraq and you can
kiss the already severely struggling occupation
goodbye not to mention the embryonic Iraqi
?government?) government who has supported the U.S. in
its horrid occupation and failed fiasco of Iraq?  Is
not Britain one of the world?s last important U.S.
allies?  I mean of course I could go on and on here
(and already have) but come on, this is just
ridiculous.  

If not addressed quickly I who knows what deleterious
effects it will have on the nascent private space
industry.  There must be immediate action to fix this
absurd mistake and keep the private space industry on
its collective feet (well not even out of the cradle
really, but I think you get my drift).

Maybe some agree that we have to be careful
transferring technology to our greatest ally...but
does anyone really??  I hope not, but I'm sure there
are some who still harbor some antipathy towards those
shifty red-coats... ;)


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