Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Caspar Weinberger - Prophet


In 1971 Caspar Weinberger, then Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote a memorandum essentially arguing against the cancellation of manned spaceflight following Apollo 15.
It would be confirming, in some respects, a belief that I fear is gaining credence at home and abroad: That our best years are behind us, that we are turning inward, reducing our defense commitments, and voluntarily starting to give up our super-power status, and our desire to maintain world superiority..
Our leaders weren't ready to cede American leadership back then, and manned spaceflight continued. Now, forty years later, we have an administration that gives up manned spaceflight because it does believe our best years are behind us; that is voluntarily giving up our superpower status; that rejects American superiority. Weinberger's fears have come to fruition.

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