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Science & Technology
Shakespeare At The Pentagon
2019-07-11
Anything that starts with a play on the “Friends, Romans, countrymen” speech gets my attention.
[AmericanGreatness] Antony’s speech convinced the Roman populace that Caesar’s actions were more complex than mere personal ambition. So, too, issues around the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and other defense acquisitions are more complex than cost overruns and claims about capability shortfalls.

What’s at stake is a much deeper issue. How can the U.S. maintain military effectiveness at a time of rapid technological change and the disruption it brings?
Thoughtful and thought provoking.

Posted by:Chinemp Shiper1154

#12  Shakespeare?

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks" - Hamlet
Posted by: Procopius2k   2019-07-11 18:52  

#11  The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present


Sounds like Climate Change research to me.
Posted by: AlanC   2019-07-11 17:42  

#10  Hm, "winter of our discontent" was turned into "summer" by the son/sun of York.

Based on that, I interpret "winter" as a "sucky season of discontent" instead of "end of discontent".

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posted by: charger   2019-07-11 17:33  

#9  To be fair, Dopey, he IS a liar. He does say "happy days are here again", in that stanza, but later in the speech he really means he's p*ssed because he's not the golden boy... which ties back rather well to the current wars of succession in the DoD.
Posted by: UJ etc   2019-07-11 13:37  

#8  Hardly, Dopey. Tricky Dicky was whining about the new "sun/son" of York, stealing his thunder and giving him an excuse to be a dh*t. Dunno how you get 'troubles are over' from that. More like, "trouble, you ain't seen trouble yet"
Posted by: UJetc   2019-07-11 13:30  

#7  ...but they seem to skip over this part g(r)om -

In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.

Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.

The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present

and is gravely to be regarded. Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientifictechnological elite.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2019-07-11 11:48  

#6  Eisenhower had something to say on this subject
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2019-07-11 10:11  

#5  Cry Havoc! and let slip the dogs of war...
Posted by: Warthog   2019-07-11 09:20  

#4  UJ, you do realize that phrase means "our troubles are over", right?
Posted by: Dopey Protector of the Trolls2513   2019-07-11 08:53  

#3  Actually I think "Now is the winter of our discontent" would be more appropriate.
Posted by: Unolunter Jereting2629   2019-07-11 08:18  

#2  they can do that by being strong in "space" and not revealing their hand until necessary
Posted by: 746   2019-07-11 00:41  

#1  To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them.
Posted by: Skidmark   2019-07-11 00:19  

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