Not only did Nixon try to dismantle NASA, he also took all the regulation away from the insurance companies, and helped make the mess that our health care system is. Oh and he started Amtrak because he always liked to play with trains…

W did a lot of things people are mostly unaware of. Read the Patriot Act sometime. You can be arrested as a terrorist, and be locked up with no rights, if you are part of a peaceful demonstration. That's removing your liberties and is unconstitutional!

As Phil alluded to, people need to read more facts.

I think the Joe the Plumber reference was right on. The guy doesn't have a plumber's licence and he didn't pay his taxes! Not the kind of guy I want working on my pipes.

Two more socialist things we enjoy are the US Mail and NASA!

I'm sure Fraser could come here and tell us how nice it is to have socialized health care, because as a self employed person in the US, I don't have any!

I enjoyed the article Ian.

Interesting article, thanks for writing. I also think people are taking themselves just a wee bit too seriously. It's a quip folks, not the communist manifesto. Space geeks of the world unite!

Conflict and controversy sales. If you want to make a lot of money and impression those around you in a Capitalist society you need these components in whatever you do. The Davinci Code sold because you have the religious side and the non religious (which the religious side would call, atheists, savages, etc.). This is just one of many examples.

If's funny how republicans can go around calling people terrorists because there name is not fitting into the standard of American society, but when Joe the plumber gets a little Saturday Night Live joke, the republicans go ballistic.

This is the best thing that has ever happened to Joe the Plumber. The guys famous, yeah he gets ridiculed, but that keeps the flame alive. He should open his business while the flame is still hot. It is awesome advertising. I wonder how many people would be willing to finance his start up costs because he is so famous now.

Good luck Ian keep using politics in your articles, and bye bye to the narrow minded readers that have left this site.

Americans talking politics scare me.
Try Australia's compulsory voting system .. you'll soon learn to be apathetic.

Right wing presidents have ALWAYS taken money away from NASA. Every one of them. Pay attention to the world around you. During the Apollo missions, no astronaut wanted to interview with Nixon because he was destroying the program. Putting down the ax and standing there for the photo op. What a liar.
NASA is groups of many people working together to accomplish a common goal. If that's too social for you, go to the Congo and build your own little Republic. The taxes are incredibly low there. You don't have to worry about green cards for the low paid servants.

You wouldn't stand for crap parts on the next plane you get on. RIGHT?
This guy BROKE THE LAW, LIED, ENDAGERED PEOPLES LIVES AND A LOT OF TAX PAYERS DOLLARS! Should he have had a blowie for you to get upset about it?????
This guy is a TRAITOR to this country. He should be treated as such. Someone this old knows better. He needs NASA to baby sit his work? WOW. This is where capitalist greed leads. Now people are defending him because he comes from a Republican company? How ignorant. They are traitors too. I hope this company doesn’t build airline parts.

Yes, get mad about. Cry and hiss. Then run away….far away. So no one has to deal with this Nazi crap anymore.

When it comes to socialism /capitalism it's amazing how ignorant people are. A Communist is a Capitalist who hates to Social matters. Those who cry commie are the ones who act like it.

Everyone needs to quit being spoon fed by their propaganda machines and pay attention, research and learn on their own. Without someone else telling them how to feel and think. Scientists don’t rely on the news or e-mails there mommy sends them. Gets the facts, think, research, prove then open the mouth. Why so many get it backwards?

Stupidity shines when some acts as a criminal. Then someone writes about it and gives an analogy to explain it. The writer is treated like the criminal should and the criminal is ignored and even defended? Go get an education and learn on your own. This kind of attitude in people minds makes it seen as though Geobbels is still around.

Thank God we have a President now that cares about the program.

Take the comments, of all sorts, as a compliment. Silence is the killer.

I can't see how your mildly ironic humor could ignite the 'hate'. It must be the readers responsibility entirely, these reactions here.

Your article is highly relevant and well written. That is all.

Spacecraft leave little room for fudge factors. If design, analysis, testing and certification indicates that a given part must withstand a loading of X, NASA is not likely to specify 2X when that could double the weight. A weld, yielding a reduction in strength of 40%, constitutes a SEVERE RISK.

The shuttle is not like your pickup truck. A failure will likely be catastrophic onboard the shuttle, and it seems to me SIMPLE to avoid this sort of negligence.

A 1/2 million dollar fine pales in comparison to the cost of a lost spacecraft, to make no mention of the lives put at risk. This guy is getting off lightly.

Great article, Ian.

"oh wah, i think i might remove UT from my bookmarks because of that one comment"
What, are you guys 12 or something?
Grow up. Seriously.

As the common phrase goes, "And nothing of value was lost."
Enjoy finding another site. We will all be here loving UT =)

Absolutely. I love this quote. In addition, I'm proud that you stand by your words.

"one of the best O'Neill articles ever"

Lol, thank you. Was supposed to be a comment, turned into a novel

@David R.:-

I think I need some Hendrix right now! Thank goodness I didn't relate the article to "Bob the Builder", now that would have been a HUGE mistake. Bob is known for his excellent "can do" attitude

Bob says, "Can we fix it? Yes we can!" (as BHC and S.E.Cycloid have already mentioned, Bob's slogan sounds pretty familiar…)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_the_Builder

I seem to remember another Joe before the election…and he inspired a song that still sounds pretty good…Jimi Hendrix is just what this angry mob needs right about now.

I'm not worried about politics, I'm not overly concerned with business (so long as I generate readers for UT) – as I've said, I don't favour one political party over another. I have my views on who has the best policies insofar as space exploration is concerned, but I keep those opinions on my own space science blog.

This notion that politics has nothing to do with space exploration amazes me. The vast majority of UT news is not political, our team tries to pull together the best space science news possible. Why the overreaction when something vaguely political is mentioned? Should I really be chastised for making an off-the-cuff, lighthearted comment?

I found it again a few days ago in the trash while cleaning up my personal library

it explains so much of what is going on here. This is no recommentation, of course, because since then there was so many more literature about our f'ng daily (mis – whatever that might be)behaviour.

one of the best O'Neill articles ever

A couple of days ago I write about an educational experiment that will enrich science in the classroom by sending a biology payload to the ISS. What happens? A few hundred hits and someone complaining that the ISS should be used for something useful (plus a mini debate with Jorge, thanks Jorge!).

Then I write about a shoddy contractor (and yes, from the source material he has been accused of being shoddy and will, most likely, go to jail – I was very careful not to say he had already been proven guilty, 'cuz he hasn't). I make a mildly funny remark about the only plumber I knew most people would recognise. And *BOOM* approaching 40 comments and nearly 2000 hits. (And I did this without even thinking.)

OK, to answer some concerns:
1) I'm British, I've just moved to the US (and this site is based in Canada). I use British humour, which I make no apologies for.
2) I have obviously poked right into the heart of some raw tensions still seething after the elections. Woops.
3) I am neither "right", "left", communist, socialist, or Marxist. I couldn't vote this time around, but I'll be sure to let you know when I make up my mind.
4) Wasn't it the Republicans who threw "Joe the plumber" into the limelight? Wasn't it McCain and Palin who used Joe as a desperate ploy to discredit Obama's tax initiatives? I am pretty sure the Republican press has become rather upset about the election loss and have begun representing the whole "Joe the Plumber" thing in a different light.
5) How do I know Joe is shoddy? I don't, I'm simply relating this article to the popular media and their views on the whole "no licence" debacle (whether that is even accurate as Joe didn't need a licence, debatable at best).
6) Although this is a space blog, occasionally politics crops up (yes, really). As this is a blog, I am actually allowed (believe it or not) to speak my opinions… and I'm allowed to be funny (or at least try to be).
7) I'm not ashamed of myself. Well, no more than I should be on a day-to-day basis!
8 ) I have the amazing freedom to blog on this wonderful site. Occasionally I might get it wrong, but I'll never be unduly unfair or offensive. Regardless of your politics, an off-the-cuff remark (whether it is seen as pro-Obama or anti-McCain) such as this is pretty tame compared with what's been said these past few weeks.

It's a shame so many of you have seen fit to make personal attacks at me (and no, I didn't make a personal attack on Joe, I don't know the guy – "Joe the Plumber" has become synonymous with the media as being "dodgy"). A few comments have been removed because of the limited nature of their vocabulary.

Well, I'll leave it at that. As I'm quickly learning, getting involved in a political debate in the US is like being thrown into a pit of lions that haven't been fed for weeks. No matter how knowledgeable you are, you'll never change anyone's mind. So, open the flood gates again, I'm sure I've just ignited some more anti-socialist/anti-Obama/anti-me remarks.

Cheers, Ian

you wrote:

"When it comes to discussions of capitalism and socialism, right-wingers need to go back to school. I'm surprised right-wingers even read this Science website – after all; republicans are the party of "creationism". Ever stop to think that educated people have just had it up to here with this right-wing creationism crap and the republican party's continual attack on science?"

You know what? You contradict yourself. Because evolution cannot be planned. There will be no other proof of your alleged "imperfection" of the "right-wingers" than their factual extinction from the face of the earth. But you know what? In four or eight years everything will have changed again. That is not necessarilly so, but experience tells me that it will be.

I give you a hint: enjoy your individual conformance with current political trend as long as you can und ride the wave as long as it is possible. Because CHANGE is a bitch. Today change loves you. Tomorrow you are abandoned.

I think the passion of your post may be powered by the tragic losses in the past. I understand but give the guy a chance to defend himself.

Nasa did purchase from the guy. He can't be a total screw up. Its not like they goto the space craft parts store to get these parts. They contract with these people. They chose him.

Average Joe is another common one.
Knock-off Nigel also comes to mind. Damn catchy ads.

Also, thanks for the link Maxwell.

If NASA used an unlicensed plumber to build spacestation plumbing with uncertified welds; it might be cheaper; but likely not as safe. When NASA pays the premium for certified parts but ends up with uncertified welds; someone, somewhere is criminally responsible.