Everything you said here is complete nonsense. Moon missions did not end with Apollo 11. There is a great deal more we can do on the lunar surface than hit golf balls. We can set up lunar cities, observatories, etc. Which nation is a bigger player than the United States? As of 2011 Russia and any other nation and any other nation that decides not to trurn its back on space exploriation. As I stated, privatization has its limits. Republicans are wise enought to recognize that fact. Privatization can be very benificial in may areas, particularly in those areas that are service-oriented. But space is an entirely different matter. No private company can afford the massive amounts of financing that space exploration demands. Human travel has reached its limits in space? Are you kidding? We haven't even begun to scratch the surface of manned space exploration. The future of man in space is limitless. The issues of space time and logistics are being worked on now. Yes they represent difficulties that must be overcome, but since when do we just throw our hands up and quit because something is difficult? It has always been our willingness to challenge ourselves and to achieve the impossible that has characterized human nature. The only limits we have to worry about are those that lie withing ourselves. Your problem, Red, is that where more foresighted people yourself see opportunity, you choose to see only barriers. You have no vision of the future and no hope in its potential.
In the 19th century Daniel Webster declared that not one dime should be spent on the exploration and development of the lands west of the Mississippi until the nation has solved poverty. If we had followed his advice the western United States would be a barren wasteland and we would still have poverty with us. Your remark is very similar to Webster's and it contains the same narrow vision.
Apparently you did not read my post closely so I will elucidate. Privatization is fine for many functions now handled by government, particularly service-oriented functions. But there are some functions that, for one reason or another, do not lend themselves well to privatization. The space program, because of its cost and the degree of constant experimentation required, is one of those functions. This should be obvious.
Man, I'm half inclined to want the whole damn thing scrapped simply out of spite for these assfaces. Orlando Sentinel – The Write Stuff
money problems can dissolve this country. is it worth it? no one is talking about some unattainable goal, just keeping the US solvent. besides, this country doesnt invest enough in science ed to be able to achieve real goals anyway.
Yeah? Let's it address it point by pont. Manned missions did indeed end with Apollo 11. Sure we can, but at what cost and for what benefit? Get real. We need a "moon city" like a fish needs a bicycle. Already shown to be false. The US has not abandoned space exploration and has not surrendered space dominance to anybody. Talk about nonsense, you are believing your own rhetoric. Russia can't afford new sneakers. So . . . you recognize that there is a cost-benefit ratio that is necessary here. Carry it one step further and realize that a proper balance must be found between government and industry and that a proper balance must be found between costs and resulting benefits. Pragmatic attempts are being made to address this. It has with technology that exists today or is being contemplated. This is not Star Trek. Warp Dirve doesn't exist, time travel doesn't exist, wormholes don't exist, artificial gravity doesn't exist, food synthesizers don't exist, et cetera, et cetera. NO ONE HAS QUIT SPACE EXPLORATION OR RESEARCH!!!! Obama has not ended the US Space Program despite the dishonest title of this thread. He ended one expensive program with a low payoff and is proposing greater privatization of space. Stop propagating this lie. And you are a dreamer. Get out of the way and let the achievers do some practical work.
With every other problem the US is facing, sending humans into space is low on my priority list right now. When we are in better shape, we can resume regular funding for the program. Now, if Congress would cut several other programs, or at least the budgets for those programs significantly, we could hope to balance the budget and dig our way out of debt.
