Muslims in space

(Note, Feb 19, 1:00 a.m.: many more comments have been added to this entry.)

Even as Obama is sending a jihadist Muslim to represent the U.S. at the Organization of Islamic Conference (the organization of all 57 Islamic-majority countries which is formally dedicated to making sharia the supreme law for all humanity), he has told the Administrator of NASA, Charlie Bolden, to reach out to “dominantly Muslim countries” (those are Bolden’s words) and include them in the space program.

NASA chief Charles Bolden, who is a retired
Marine Corps major general and a former NASA astronaut—
the Sonia Sotomayor of space travel

From the Orlando Sentinel:

WASHINGTON—NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said Tuesday that President Barack Obama has asked him to “find ways to reach out to dominantly Muslim countries” as the White House pushes the space agency to become a tool of international diplomacy.

“In addition to the nations that most of you usually hear about when you think about the International Space Station [LA replies: yes, when I think about space travel, I hear about certain countries], we now have expanded our efforts to reach out to non-traditional partners,” said Bolden, speaking to a lecture hall of young engineering students.

Specifically, he talked about connecting with countries that do not have an established space program and helping them conduct science missions. He mentioned new opportunities with Indonesia, including an educational program that examines global climate change.

“We really like Indonesia because the State Department, the Department of Education [and] other agencies in the U.S. are reaching out to Indonesia as the largest Muslim nation in the world. We would love to establish partners there,” Bolden said.

As a presidential candidate, Obama espoused a space program that invited more participation from the international community and Deputy NASA Administrator Lori Garver said recently that the next time NASA lands on the moon it would be part of an international exploration effort.

[end of Sentinel article]

Wow, this is a whole new frontier for global welfare and the equal uplift of all humanity! Countries with no space programs and with no technology for space programs must be included in our space program, so as to unleash their so-far unseen science abilities. It’s the principle of Head Start, applied globally and with systematic comprehensiveness.

Also, once Muslims get into outer space, their very presence there will have established it as a part of Dar al-Islam.

- end of initial entry -

Rick U. writes:

Sheesh … The OPEC Countries can’t even run their oil machinery without ex-pats from the West and now they’re going to “participate” in our space program? Why not just pull black high school dropouts from our own ghettos to participate as well? More fantasyland from this laughable administration.

Jim C. writes:

“dominantly [sic] Muslim countries”

This is a low-IQ tell (see poker). I see this all the time in our affirmative-action “Ivy League” employees.

LA replies:

That’s why I emphasized that he had said it.

James P. writes:

NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said Tuesday that President Barack Obama has asked him to “find ways to reach out to dominantly Muslim countries” as the White House pushes the space agency to become a tool of international diplomacy.

I would think of this as part of a master plan to demoralize patriotic Americans by turning the former leading exemplar of national technological prowess into an idiotic joke that exists only to “celebrate diversity,” except the geniuses in the administration probably really do think helping Indonesia have a space program is a wonderful idea. Or perhaps they think it’s a “two-fer” because it simultaneously lifts up the spirits of the downtrodden non-whites while crushing the spirits of the evil, racist whites.

Indonesia should nominate for the astronaut program the most famous and talented person ever born or raised there, Barack Hussein Obama! (just kidding)

Ray G. writes:

I guess this is what happens when you have a left-wing, black pro-Muslim as president, who appoints a liberal, black man as the head of NASA. They turn it into a diversity/multi-cultural obsessed social program instead of a serious technological exploration organization.

Daniela writes from Romania:

I don’t get why you people don’t rejoice at hearing this. Let’s send all of them into space! Now, the question is, how will they turn towards Mecca to pray five times a day?

N. writes:

Just as a thought experiment I tried to imagine a devout, five-prayers per day, Moslem in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). That means every 90 minutes or so he fully circles the globe. Certainly a devout Moslem would pray in space, and would do so in the direction of the Kabaa. Seems to me he’ll need a computer program to figure out in which direction to pray at any given moment (and, in fact, he’d need to constantly move slightly to account for orbital velocity).

Maybe there will be an iPhone app for that …

Paul Nachman writes:

This is a terrific line:

“Also, once Muslims get into outer space, their very presence there will have established it as a part of Dar al-Islam.”

Now that you’ve raised the subject, the question is, “How far does their domain extend?” Near-earth orbit? The solar system? The galaxy? Etc.

A. Zarkov writes:

Mel Brooks gave us Jews in space.

Mark Jaws writes:

Muslims in the US space program?! Great! Now, NASA will have to install medal and chemical detectors in order to screen the astronauts before boarding their spacecraft.

Jim C. writes:

You wrotes:

“NASA chief Charles Bolden, who is a retired Marine Corps major general and a former NASA astronaut—the Sonia Sotomayor of space travel”

I sent this to my buddy Trey Parker of “South Park” fame. He laughed his a** off (I hope he uses it for a spoof of affirmative action, which he has the cojones to address honestly)

N. writes:

Maybe you are not aware that the Space Shuttle fleet is approaching the end of its useful life, and that Obama’s NASA is in the process of cancelling the successor. This will leave US astronauts traveling to the International Space Station in Russian capsules, launched on Russian rockets, from the Baikonur space facility. Perhaps when the Chinese have a man-rated launch system that is trustworthy, US astronauts can hitch a ride with them.

So once again, Obama is promising something he has no intention of delivering.

Rick U. writes:

According to this article, Ms. Napolitano met with several US Muslims groups last month to “brief” them on counter-radicalization and anti-terror programs. The program was imported from the UK—after all, things are going splendidly well there—to win over Muslims and get them to collaborate with federal officials. Kum ba yah with the Muslim Brotherhood. How nice.

Michael P. writes:

“In addition to the nations that most of you usually hear about when you think about the International Space Station [LA replies: yes, when I think about space travel, I hear about certain countries] …

Who knows, maybe you’re schizophrenic and just don’t know it? Or maybe, being from NY, perhaps you are accustomed to more literate journalism from the Times? Be that as it may, you must give the Orlando Sentinel a break since the paper’s geared towards readers with a 10th grade education and written on a level you’d expect from your run of the mill government high-school journalism class. National articles are sourced from AP, and local copy exists mostly as advertisements for more welfare programs (albeit thinly disguised as news stories). To save time, talent, and money the rag utilizes a stock formula recycled every couple of weeks. A typical headline might read:

______(insert women, gays, blacks, children, Hispanics etc) suffer disproportionately due to to the latest _______(insert whatever budget cut or decrease in the rate of spending is planned).

Then, you’ll usually view a photo of one or two representatives of said minority (especially useful if they have a sad eyed kid or three). Once you get past the headline and pictures you may then proceed to read about them in badly mangled English.

Among locals the level of the paper’s literacy is a sad joke, but since no one is buying they’re going broke anyway. Many of the writers have Hispanic names, staff morale is rumored to be poor, layoffs are said to be common, and I suspect any remaining competent editors are by this time completely burnt out, embarrassed, and maybe looking for other work. The price of the Sunday paper is likely exceeded by the value of the grocery coupons, so it’s got that going for it, and the Sunday edition is especially valuable if you have some painting to do.

LA replies:

This is a good summation of regional and local journalism in this country. Much more attention is needed to the bad ideology and just plain badness of much of journalism today. Only if it’s brought continually under a critical light is there any chance it will improve.

But a correction: that was Charles Bolden I was quoting, not the Sentinel.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at February 18, 2010 03:21 PM | Send