quite frankly space investment will not pay off in any leaders lifetime, so why would they expend political capital on it? kennedy lived in an age where the idea of going to the moon was a possibility- you want space progress vote for the guys smart enough to see the advantage... not for one of the candidates on either side that seem to have no knowledge or imagination to advocate space... we are led by morons- hell many of you right wingers have admitted bush is is an intellectual midget! Yeah our country should come first, but humanity should come in as a tie... AT LEAST! When the heck have we had a leader we would agree was even mildly gifted?

The riches out there, will determine what value system wins- yet we sit here and play stupid politics that even the simpleminded can see through and waste our chance!! We argue what "is" is ...and we argue not "if" our president is a moron, but if he hired the best to help him

it is sad, we are the world shapers- THAT is why we are the targets of terrorists- I in no way advocate appeasement, but we need to accept some responsibility... both osama and hussain prospered from our payments- this is WELL documented! admit it! we helpred make thes monsters- it CAN NOT BE DENIED! we are just talking facts- we may scream about iragui mass graves but many were dug while we paid them....
We may moan about wmd but we have turned a blind eye to those that make them who havent pissed us off yet...

So the lie we did this for humanity is not believed.... and now with the lack of evidence the lie we did this in self defense cannot be believed... this was just an old score to settle... nothing more nothing less

The best argument you can make is "ooops, we goofed!"

pretty pitiful, and yeah, feel free to bring up the mass graves- then explain why we found it politically expedient to ignore the ones in countries we support?
You are hippocrites, mass murder of innocents is ok as long as it advances your goals- if it doesnt stay the hell away and blame it on the "animals"

lets just face facts- anyttime an individual bent on power makes international decisions the last to be concidered are the people.... If you are honest you will admit that....

war is a useful distraction, war is a unifying force, but if it does no more than that, is war just?

Most of you have admitted we were wrong in our justification for war. you have tried to come up with post facto justification,,, sorry it dont work like that..... You have legit argumenths I will hear them, but they damn well better be based on our original reasons for war!

lol Yeah guess I am bitter, the fact is if we dont take advantage of the wealth out there some one will, when that happens we are in the dust as much as any 3rd world country.... I dont care how you argue, those are the facts... china started an age of discovery- when their emporer died they called back the ships.... wasted money- had they not we might me speaking chinese now....

People die in exploration, we seemed to have forgotten that- anyone that dies in space SHOULD be a hero, but not a reason to stop...... I am willing to bet there are interviews that show those lost said were fully knowledgeable of the risks and took them willingly-
We have a loets of guts, but we have wasted more on fear...

Quite frankly I am sick of our attitude.... The unknown is dangerous- DEAL WITH IT.... I want to see our explorers return happy and healthy as much as you do- but I accept that the unknown has unknown threats- which is why i ADMIRE THOSE that take the risks...
Call me callous but I cannot imagine a nobler death- to die not for a religion, or from a temporary ideology but for knowledge... that is pure... They wre the epitopme of humanity..
end of rant

and worship those that have died making space a place we can go