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Not to excuse it all, because I'm sure there's plenty of waste and fraud, but sometimes militaries/governments need things that are more robust than the seeming
by superuser2 12y ago
Not to excuse it all, because I'm sure there's plenty of waste and fraud, but sometimes militaries/governments need things that are more robust than the seemingly just-as-good civilian alternatives.
Why doesn't Curiosity run on a Dell Inspiron? Why can't the President drive a used Honda Civic? Why can't the drone programs just retrofit toy helicopters?
(Hint: there are good answers to all of these questions.)
I've always found this West Wing clip interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9kH_HOUXM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9kH_HOUXM
- ithought 12y agoAs another point, the book Burning Money from the Chairman of Reagan's Committee on Cost Control, J. Peter Grace: "The Federal government is Burning Money and it is your money. An actual case. One day the US Navy decided to buy a hammer, the kind you buy for $7 at the corner hardware store. To the $7 cost of the hammer, add: $41 to order the hammer and figure out how to use it. $93 to make sure the hammer worked. $102 for "manufacturing overhead. " $37 to make sure there were spare parts for the hammer. $3 for packing the hammer for shipment. $90 for the contractor's general administrative costs. $56 for the finder's fee. $7 for the capital cost of money. The U.S. Navy ended up buying a $7 hammer for $436, and who paid for it? You." http://www.paperbackswap.com/Burning-Money-Waste-J-Peter-Grace/book/0025449303/ http://www.paperbackswap.com/Burning-Money-Waste-J-Peter-Gra...