@Gallen_Dugall  @Baines I see you are ready to integrate into the io9 forums...

 @Nicnac  @Baines  The original termination of the moon program in 72 was not the act of one person or party - it was jointly approved by both parties. Our last effort to go to the moon just a couple of years ago (once again with full approval from both parties) it was at that same China was threatening to stop buying our debt, and then after a series of closed door meetings at the White House suddenly did an about face on the subject, incidentally announcing their own plans to start up H3 recovery operations on the moon as we backed down.

We exchanged future energy independence for ongoing help in destroying the nation's middle class - the only threat either party cares about.

 @Gallen_Dugall  @Baines We stand a hell of a lot better chance of returning to the moon now than we do under a republican who would rather start another couple of wars to get him and his cronies obscenely rich at the expense of the US economy and American service persons' lives.

No, we didn't exchange the moon for China anything. We stopped going to the moon what 40 years ago? When was the rise of China? 10?

 @Nicnac  @Baines Well, lets make it political and not just my pointing out the simple mindedness of thinking that just because NASA submits a plan that it means anything. We gave up the moon. We have surrendered it to China in return for their promise to continue to purchase our debt - and by the by since the value of the dollar is based on our productivity, it's not a surprise that borrowing money against our productivity has destroyed our nations economy - by intent.

Totalitarian regimes always thrive with a powerful upper class, a massive lower class and nothing in between not without reason. Political change flows from the middle class - always has, always will. Destruction of the middle class through destruction of the industries that sustain it (through policies that include the protection of corrupt unions, persecution of effective unions, absurd regulation, massive taxation and the fascist marriage of giant-globo-business and government) and is the central goal of BOTH parties.

Lets look at just one aspect - taxes. We presumably tax "income" however if you control the means of production any "income tax" becomes simply a cost of business passed on to consumers. Obama says he wants to raise taxes on the "wealthy" except that an income tax by its very nature protects the "wealthy" - if you've got it it's tax free since you didn't earn it, and if you're earning it through the control of productive activity it's someone else's expense. In fact when you take into account the "tax expense" passed along to consumers the lowest earners pay around 80% of their earnings in taxes - the middle class pays around 60% and the "wealthy" pay 20% - nearly all of which comes from the nouveau riche aka actual innovators and wealth creators. Our tax system is nothing more than a tool to oppress the masses and you can say the same thing about every aspect of government in this country.

No, we are not going back to the moon. We're going back to pre-revolutionary France.

 @UncleShmalbert  @Someguy And the Eggs! Never forget the eggs!

 @davelog  @Timely-Tardis-Lego  @skrag2112 I plan on having a suave moustache and a grappling hook. We all dream differently, I suppose.