From the Los Angeles Times: "The head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said PTSS (Precision Tracking Space System) represented an “unprecedented capability” to protect America and its allies against a nuclear attack by the likes of North Korea and Iran.
The Missile Defense Agency said PTSS fell victim to budget constraints. In fact, the program was spiked after outside experts determined that the entire concept was hopelessly flawed and the claims made by its advocates were erroneous. It was the latest in a string of expensive failures for the missile agency."
A man came to the Pentagon with magic charts and numbers,
to awaken cash cows from their drowsy serene slumbers.
"You need a bunch of satellites up in the azure sky
to tell you when Iranians their missiles have let fly!"
The Pentagon officials hugged the man to medaled chests,
then took him off to Congress and the Special Interests.
When senators learned of the money that this scheme entailed,
they and many lobbyists with joyful sighs exhaled.
It wasn't long before the contracts were drawn up and signed,
and contractors both big and small their pockets fully lined.
When scientists saw blueprints of the project, they exploded:
"This malarkey is bizarre and totally outmoded!"
But by then the wheels were turning and the gold was flowing,
so no one paid them any mind as things just kept on growing.
Finally the Pentagon began to see that spending
on the project would endanger other programs pending.
And so the mighty missile man was told he must decamp;
he left with bags of loot so large they gave his arms a cramp.
If you have got a hankering the public's trough to feed from,
you will find there's lots of dough -- if you know how to knead, chum.
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