Everyone realizes all this "return to the moon" talk is a shell game, right?

[misanthrope]

It's not about a legitimate space race of any sort, not like the one in 1960s. That was about establishing supremacy for espionage, delivering nuclear warheads and looming over an enemy.

This is another con, a way to divert winnowing funds and focus from earth science and climate change study. It's another con.

[dewsgirl]

1. I have assumed distraction, I hadn't thought it that far through.

Of course they are.

[Ponietz]

2. I can think of a few plutocrats who might want the grooviest fallout shelter on the market

I expect Frump wants a tower on the moon.

In the same light, a border wall coupled with aggressive moves towards Canada is the most cynical response, strategically, to long-term projected estimates of population, warming, and drought.

[gordianot]

3. No one needs a new arms race such as hyper velocity weapons.

Arming space based weapons is another excuse to create an international funding boondoggle with the possibility to actually obtain military dominance on Earth. This is madness.

[Red Mountain]

5. Space based weapons

Won't result in military dominance on earth. It would give one state an advantage over another but when it gets right down to it.....boots on the ground control.

[gordianot]

8. You do not ultimately require explosives when you can rain down kinetic weapons.

Fortunately a Military base on the Moon is cost prohibitive. Humans to not take well to the vacuum of space and fuel sources are rare. The ultimate weapons already orbit the Earth. Just one large human controlled asteroid could take out a continent without nuclear fallout.

[mn9driver]

4. Correct. The funds required to create a whole new infrastructure for a manned mission

Would completely drain the budget for any other space based research. It’s bread and circuses for the masses while the earth burns.

[Red Mountain]

6. So the space based research drains the budget while the earth burns as well?

We can go to the moon and develop technologies to cool the earth at the same time.

People are selfish. We won't do what's right for the planet. I see space-based solutions to global warming as a last best alternative.

Technologies that allow us access to the moon and mars are a natural lead-in.

[misanthrope]

7. Not when the budget is squeezed

There is no other goal in mind. The Trump administration doesn't care about science unless it leads to monetization.

The administration is counting on all the Apollo 11 golden anniversary stuff in a couple of months to do their work for them. They will turn what was initially a moment of reflection for humanity into chest-thumping nationalism and momentum for their corporate-friendly agenda.

[albacore]

9. Shell game. So is the infrastructure agreement with the Dems...

The money simply is not there... unless we cut "defense". Hard.
Or Social Security and "welfare". Except there isn't enough meat to cut...let alone fat.
With trump, it's ALL a shell game.

[H2O Man]

10. Wait!!!!

Are you willing to risk an attack from the gray aliens? I mean, think of the consequences if we don't go further in debt as a nation, in order to get both Trump's Space Force and moon project on track now! It's way more important than little things like the Mueller Report, or Russian military intelligence deciding our elections! There's a cravan of gray liens coming right now!!!!!


Recommended, of course.

[misanthrope]

11. Didn't you hear?

They're already here.

[H2O Man]

12. Wow!

Outstanding! I love it!

[DontBooVote]

13. China will do it before we can get our shit together on it.

[Xolodno]

14. Yeap.

They talk about returning to the moon....then when the budget comes up, shave another percentage off of NASA.