> As a government organization it is always going to be somewhat capricious and compromised ...
That applies to every large organization. I've never heard of or worked in one that was otherwise.
Contrary to the conservative myth, the U.S. government's large organizations have a pretty good track record of innovation and getting things done. Consider the U.S. military, NASA (did you see those photos of Pluto?), most science funding, my highways are safe and very functional, my water and food supply are clean, prisons effectively hold prisoners, dams don't burst, my lights turn on, etc.
Of course they are very imperfect, like all large organizations, and constant vigilence and improvement is necessary. But I reject the idea that government is somehow innately incompetent and private business is innately superior. It's almost a rejection of the idea that democratic self-government can be effective. Really they are different tools for different jobs.
I don't agree with the GP view that the government does not have a role in the future of space. However as an employee in the government sector I can confirm that the stereotype of an inefficient organization is true. It's more then just being a large organization there is a real lack of competitive pressures that force efficiency. It's not a rejection of the idea that democratic self government is a good form of government it's just a recognition that there are certain downsides of the current implementations of government agencies.
> However as an employee in the government sector I can confirm ...
One person's anecdotal experience doesn't confirm anything. There are probably tens of millions of government employees in the United States alone.
> It's more then just being a large organization there is a real lack of competitive pressures that force efficiency.
That's true in many large organizations. Inefficiencies due to employees' (including managers') lack of exposure with any marketplace consequence are a very common, well-studied problem. See: Dilbert.
That applies to every large organization. I've never heard of or worked in one that was otherwise.
Contrary to the conservative myth, the U.S. government's large organizations have a pretty good track record of innovation and getting things done. Consider the U.S. military, NASA (did you see those photos of Pluto?), most science funding, my highways are safe and very functional, my water and food supply are clean, prisons effectively hold prisoners, dams don't burst, my lights turn on, etc.
Of course they are very imperfect, like all large organizations, and constant vigilence and improvement is necessary. But I reject the idea that government is somehow innately incompetent and private business is innately superior. It's almost a rejection of the idea that democratic self-government can be effective. Really they are different tools for different jobs.