Kill NASA.

This CNET article really shows why we need to kill NASA, even though I am sure that's not the author's intent.

More than once the article mentions the need to develop a new heavy lift booster.

What the fuck, over?

We have a fully developed and FLOWN heavy lifter.  Delta IV Heavy.  How about we fund the building of a proven system for a change instead of tossing it and making up a whole new one?  Speaking of proven designs, what about the Titan IV?  Yes, we don't get them on the cheap by recycling ICBM's anymore but we damn sure know they work.

This is all a side issue to the real solution to our earth to orbit needs.  Please show me the government agency in charge of funding new commercial aircraft development.  Hell, show my the government agency funding the development of new trains or buses.  While there is some incentive funding, Congress is not making live or die decisions on CSX's new rolling stock.

I am positive that if we got NASA out of the way then Boeing would be more than capable of making, selling and launching as many Deltas as there are customers for.  Without NASA, Boeing has real incentives to make their product better and cheaper.

I remember talking to some people who were involved with the design of the Shuttle.  The insanely low prices that were quoted for payloads were possible, they insisted.  What they, engineers, didn't know at the time is that NASA is a jobs program and their design would constantly and consistently be compromised to make sure that those jobs would have to be used to operate the system.

NASA, in 1963 is a great example of how some things just won't get started without nation-state funding levels to start the infrastructure; it's also a prime example of how government routinely fails to make way for the real users once the infrastructure is established.

I have grossly oversimplified and exaggerated things here, so if you have a comment, fill in details and provide support.  If I am completely wrong, show me (be nice, be polite).