Why are “We the People”/ Americans OK with giving up scientific leadership in the public domain to private companies and other countries?

Watching the decimation and destruction of NASA and its entities including Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is like watching a comedic end of times film, except the comedy is cruel and unusual.

Newsflash: The budget reductions at NASA aren’t going away, they will merely be moved to another budget area, ostensibly given to private companies or some political pet project. The illusion of budget cuts leading to a balanced budget is strong. The smoke is burning my eyes, I don’t know about yours. The mirrors, well, they aren’t pointed at the right people, unfortunately.

NASA represents the USA’s leadership in science and space. The institution provides the American public with science, stories and information that empower and inspire us. If we allow NASA to disappear, we give up our personal sovereignty. Knowledge is power, they say. Science is and always has been the future and the security of our Nation. Without science, we will fall. And it won’t be everyone in this country. No. The ones who control the science will be on top. Controlling the money and the direction of our country, but we, the rest of us will be at the whim of these entities (more so than ever.)

But beyond the shift of of money away from public domain to private, surely we will see a complete attrition of scientists to countries more favorable to science. This is a loss that we, the people, will surely feel in the coming years and decades. As we watch other countries take the helm of the science ship, we can just wave good bye to our leadership.

The most disappointing part of this is Janet Petro, the new NASA director, is not saying “I am fighting for NASA and the public’s right to science.” Instead, she is going along with the game. She is for the budget cuts. I mean who in their right mind would be for cutting their business in this way? No one, exactly.

Will you step up and contact your politicians in Congress? Call for a new administrator at NASA, call for a restored budget. You can make a difference, so do it today.