Gbakie said:

"Nah, we just need to open the space frontier."

--- end quote ---

"It really hurts me to say this but I think "that ship has sailed". The "Space Frontier" window of opportunity open and closed in the 1970s.

I'd really love to be wrong about this and don't be shy about proving that I'm wrong. "

It's simply not my view. I see it as losing out on a good thing. It's like using horses beyond their time. It's silly and wasteful, but it's the not end of the world. Some people think that using horses longer would have been a good thing, and they are fools. It's like putting an innocent person in prison. It sometimes happens, and maybe there is some value to it, but generally speaking it's a bad idea.

If we had opened the space frontier 10 years ago, we *might* not be in this War of Terrorism. And if we don't open the Space frontier is next 10 years, we will have some other type of "trouble". But freedom and not opening the space frontier just don't mix.
Global nuclear war, asteriod impacts, worldwide pandemics, and/or anything else won't stop us from opening the space frontier- these thing won't help, but they at most a distraction.

China the oppressor of the world will not open the space frontier, but China the new emerging power may open the space frontier. If China opens the space frontier it will become a superpower, not it will also change China. Suppose [somehow] that China had did what America did in terms of computers and the internet. It would already be the world's superpower. But if it had done this, it would have transformed into a differnent country then it is today. Same deal with opening the space frontier- times 10 or 1000.

Right now, China can open the space frontier. Right now China will not open the space frontier. Because right now China is too stupid to open the space frontier. China and other nations are getting smarter.

I don't mind [and think it a great thing] that we are lifting the world with free trade [and there is great benefits to America for doing this- we are remaining a superpower by taking this course]. BUT I think it's "only fair" that America open the space frontier.