Don't get me wrong. NASA is the only agency I like. And I was willing to spend my money, taxpayer money, to support it. But I was wrong. The fact we have private industry competing for rocket business, both to supply governments and private industry, is a better way to do it.
Like any other industry, competition, design creativity, etc. is magnified in private industry, just like the camera market. Can you imagine some government agency deciding on which format is the best, whether money should be spent on DSLRs, micro 4/3, or whatever? We'd never be where we are if the government was setting the standards and specs. Of course, government requirements such as for space and military have created a new science. But they basically have set the standard of requirements and let private industry work out the design and methods to get there.
But... that's basically all regulations is??
Take CAFE for example. I can guarantee you that without it, cars would not be as efficient or have emissions as low as they do right now, and everyone benefits. Automakers employ more people for R&D, people get better, more efficient cars that go further and pollute less on a tank of gas, and so on. What possible counter-benefit is there to NOT regulating as such? When gas is cheap (because of federal subsidies, but I digress), there's no profit motive to efficiency, and that's *bad*.
