http://defensetech.org/2006/11/13/free-the-wonks/ The Future of the Military, Law Enforcement and National Security Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:49:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://defensetech.org/2006/11/13/free-the-wonks/#comment-151004 Theresa Hitchens Wed, 15 Nov 2006 15:12:06 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=2248#comment-151004 Kudos for posting this. The appalling lack of scientific and technical knowledge on Capitol Hill is one of the primary reasons for DoD acquisition fiascos such as SBIRS. Congress has no capability to objectively review (and understand) claims made by contractors and the Pentagon about what is achievable at what cost. Abolishing OTA was a partisan move prompted primarily by the agency's criticism of the Reagan Star Wars program. It is time that Congress recognizes that scientific/technical ignorance is not bliss -- it is damaging the nation. Kudos for posting this. The appalling lack of scientific and technical knowledge on Capitol Hill is one of the primary reasons for DoD acquisition fiascos such as SBIRS. Congress has no capability to objectively review (and understand) claims made by contractors and the Pentagon about what is achievable at what cost. Abolishing OTA was a partisan move prompted primarily by the agency’s criticism of the Reagan Star Wars program. It is time that Congress recognizes that scientific/technical ignorance is not bliss — it is damaging the nation.

]]> http://defensetech.org/2006/11/13/free-the-wonks/#comment-151003 Allen Thomson Tue, 14 Nov 2006 16:46:57 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=2248#comment-151003 "...I'm confident that there would be a better-informed Congressional allocation of R&D funding and much less waste if the OTA still existed today." Call me cynical, but I think that's a major reason OTA was abolished. Fact-based policy and budget making is, to put it mildy, not universally seen as a desirable thing. “…I’m confident that there would be a better-informed Congressional allocation of R&D funding and much less waste if the OTA still existed today.“
Call me cynical, but I think that’s a major reason OTA was abolished. Fact-based policy and budget making is, to put it mildy, not universally seen as a desirable thing.

]]> http://defensetech.org/2006/11/13/free-the-wonks/#comment-24053 Nick Schwellenbach Tue, 14 Nov 2006 15:48:53 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=2248#comment-24053 Chris Mooney did an excellent article on OTA for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists last year: http://www.thebulletin.org/article.php?art_ofn=so05mooney Chris Mooney did an excellent article on OTA for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists last year:
http://www.thebulletin.org/article.php?art_ofn=so05mooney

]]> http://defensetech.org/2006/11/13/free-the-wonks/#comment-151002 anon Tue, 14 Nov 2006 13:53:27 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=2248#comment-151002 A new Congress will not be enough to get CRS reports on the open web. You'd also need a new director of CRS. He insists he does not have the legal authority to release CRS info, as it is proprietary to Congress and covered by the speech and debate clause. But, as long as the info is on close hold, people think we are hiding something and they play "gotcha" with us. Its a mess. This stuff should be in the public domain. If only because we update our reports frequently, and most of the stuff on the Web (even at FAS) does not keep up. A new Congress will not be enough to get CRS reports on the open web. You’d also need a new director of CRS. He insists he does not have the legal authority to release CRS info, as it is proprietary to Congress and covered by the speech and debate clause. But, as long as the info is on close hold, people think we are hiding something and they play “gotcha” with us. Its a mess. This stuff should be in the public domain. If only because we update our reports frequently, and most of the stuff on the Web (even at FAS) does not keep up.

]]> http://defensetech.org/2006/11/13/free-the-wonks/#comment-151001 john s Tue, 14 Nov 2006 00:06:30 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=2248#comment-151001 also check out: http://opencrs.com/ also check out:
http://opencrs.com/

]]> http://defensetech.org/2006/11/13/free-the-wonks/#comment-151000 sglover Mon, 13 Nov 2006 22:03:56 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=2248#comment-151000 Bravo for mentioning the late OTA. Somebody ought to ask Gingrich about the cost-benefit ratio of killing that agency whenever he tries to pass himself off as scientifically literate. Then again, for a certain kind of Washington "leader", a technologically savvy populace is the very last thing one wants. Newt's move was probably shrewd in that sense..... Bravo for mentioning the late OTA. Somebody ought to ask Gingrich about the cost-benefit ratio of killing that agency whenever he tries to pass himself off as scientifically literate. Then again, for a certain kind of Washington “leader”, a technologically savvy populace is the very last thing one wants. Newt’s move was probably shrewd in that sense.….

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