Sorry to sound like a broken record here, but let us see how sincere the President is.

Because the President is facing criticism from both sides of the aisle on his plan to privatize space exploration.

Wait, let the Czar correct himself. The President’s actual plan is to cancel manned space exploration, but is not opposed to allowing a private firm to go forward in its place.

The difference here is that the President has never specifically called forth for private firms to develop, present, and act on proposals to do just that. His policy could be summarized as “Let somebody else do it.”

Okay. Fine. But then the President has to get out of the way when private companies want to use launch rockets with nuclear RTGs on board, and mine the moon, and strip away nearby asteroids of gold and diamond. There has to be a profit motive, which honestly we don’t think the President remotely gets. Private industry is not going to go to the Moon and Mars just to plant a flag, collect a few pounds of rock samples, and come home to a Pepsi-sponsored parade.

If you want private industry to do it, they are going to need a reason and not regulations. If you don’t want the Moon mined, then decide right now if the money you cut out of NASA’s budget adds up to that much. After all, the President is perfectly happy to jack up our healthcare costs—but that’s so affordable when you think about the joy it will bring a small percentage of Americans—but cannot find a way to ask Americans to give three dollars per year for the awesomeness that NASA produces. Go figure.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.