Critical Thinking

"By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon and it will be American."

Once I picked myself up from the car floor where I'd fallen, laughing, I raised my hand and said aloud, "Pick me! I'll go!"

"We will have commercial near-Earth activities that include science, tourism and manufacturing, because it is in our interest to acquire so much experience in space that we clearly have a capacity that the Chinese and the Russians will never come anywhere close to matching."

Is he off his rocker? Channeling Kennedy? Serious?!

So here's my question. Without getting too far into politics, is it in the best interest of America to dedicate significant resources to the space industry? What exactly is in it for us besides Teflon and Velcro? And Tang? Is there a significant, intangible advantage? Or is it hubris?

The moon by 2020? The Creature will be starting college. Maj. Tom and I will need something to keep us busy. And it would be a crying shame to waste such a classic nickname.