WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A test of the sole U.S. defense against long-range ballistic missiles failed on Wednesday, the second failure in a row involving the system managed by Boeing Co, the Defense Department said.
“The Missile Defense Agency was unable to achieve a planned intercept of a ballistic missile target during a test over the Pacific Ocean today,” Richard Lehner, an agency spokesman, said in an e-mailed statement. No preliminary explanation of the failure was provided.
(Read more from news.yahoo.com)
I am astonished by the number of my old computer science friends working on various military-related projects. They produce no goods and services society voluntarily consumes. They live on money taken away from people by force and threat of force (i.e. taxes). Failure is generally rewarded with bigger budgets. And they starve the private, voluntary sector of the economy of scientific and technological ability.
See also:
Terence Kealey, Science is a Private Good – Or: Why Government Science is Wasteful
PFS 2010 – Terence Kealey, Science is a Private Good – Or: Why Government Science is Wasteful from Sean Gabb on Vimeo.
If you have a little time, I highly recommend the documentary Power of Nightmares about the constant government propaganda exaggerating threats against us.