NASA's Greater Significance
By: Jonah Goldberg
The Corner
I think the NASA story is actually a pretty big deal, because it symbolizes a much larger problem with Obama in particular and liberalism generally. As I argue in column today, Bolden's stunningly stupid statement reinforces the sense that the Obama White House has an ideological script that it is determined to follow no matter what the facts may be. As hordes of pundits and politicians have already observed ad nauseum, the Democratic leadership is more determined to exploit crises than fix them; it is more fixated on ideological victories than it is on governance. The absurdity of NASA's bizarre mission creep is simply a hilarious example of how the White House seems bent on following its playbook no matter what. They would get a pass from many voters, I think, if they proved they were competent at the things government is supposed to do before giving government ever more unachievable responsibilities.
Which brings us to liberalism's larger problem. Liberalism as a philosophy critically depends not only on the perception that government is competent but on the reality that it is. But when government has to do all things, when even NASA has to prioritize boosting the self-esteem of children and Muslims, it of necessity must lose the ability to perform its core functions. From my column:
<<< And this is where the Catch-22 catches. The dream of a nimble, focused, problem-solving government is undone by the reality of hyper-mission creep. When every institution is yoked to an overarching philosophy or mission, its actual purpose can become an afterthought. In 2005, volunteer firefighters from all over the country offered to help with Katrina’s aftermath. But FEMA sent many of them to Atlanta first to undergo diversity and sexual-harassment training (which most already had). . . .
The White House is determined to be a great friend (i.e., servant) to the unions, so everything from the stimulus to the automaker buyout to the Gulf spill must first pass union muster. Remember those vital, “shovel-ready” weatherization jobs the stimulus was supposed to pay for? The Labor Department delayed them for nearly a year while trying to figure out how to comply with pro-union “prevailing wage” rules for each of more than 3,000 counties.
Liberalism has become a cargo cult to the New Deal, but many of the achievements of the New Deal would be impossible now. Just try to get a Hoover Dam built today.
President Obama likes to say that “if we could put a man on the moon,” we can do anything, from socializing medicine to abandoning fossil fuels. That’s nonsense on stilts for a host of reasons. But it’s also ironic, given that we can’t even put a man on the moon anymore. Not when NASA’s foremost priority is boosting the self-esteem of children and Muslims. >>>
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