Outsourcing

Nancy wasn't able to get flu vaccine while she was pregnant (even though
pregnant women are the priority to get the vaccine, due to the risk of
birth defects). Dick Cheney said "The problem we have run into,
producing vaccine is not a very profitable business." Hmm.

The space station is now asking the astronauts to live off half-rations,
and if they can't get a flight up by Christmas, they'll have to come
down for lack of food. American spaceflight can't get to the space
station and we have to depend on Russian craft to supply it; even the
American astronauts there now ride on Soviet Soyez rockets. The Soyuz
can hold 3, which has traditionally been the crew size on the station.
Until shuttle flights resume, the crew size will be limited to 2, since
the Russians can't crank out enough Soyuz and Progress (supply) missions
to support a crew of 3.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/12/09/iss.ap/index.html

That science fiction future where America makes nothing but lawyers and
hospitals is not so far away...