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40 Years After Moon Landing, Time to Launch the Next 'Giant Leap for Mankind'

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.Sorry Mike ,next time I'll try to
undo history for those tender ears.That was'nt the first nor will it be the last time ,giving the devil his due will be necessary to achieve a greater good.All this parsing gives way to the realization that there must be a lot of attorneys out struggling to find ambulances to chase ,or windmills...

J.W of AL 1:18PM July 20, 2009

I'm not quite sure what John W. of AL means when he calls our ex-Nazi's "the best of the crop." If so, they were the best of a very bad crop indeed. von Braum held the rank of SS-Major. He witnessed and even requested the use of slave labor from concentration camps to work on his V rockets. He was also a pilot with a plane at his personal disposal during much of the war. He could have easily flown that plane to neutral Sweeden, not far from his rocket research facility. Yet he stayed with Hitler's Germany to the bitter end.
The point is America's Moon landings were the product of some terrible moral compromises. Directed by participants in one of the world's most prolific criminal acts, it also went forward seemingly blissfully unaware of the grinding poverty existing both at home and abroad. Not surprisingly considering the context, all the astronauts were white males. What little new science the manned space program created were incidental by-products of one huge cold-war publicity stunt that benefitted a relative few.
Maybe America and the world needs a renewed focus on science and technology, but America's manned space program should not be the example to follow to acheive that goal.

Mike of IN 10:08AM July 20, 2009

The U.S. Space program got off to great start with Dr.Werner von Braun .The Soviets had convinced the rest of the Ex-Nazi(at the end of a SMG muzzle )to join their team .The best of the crop did'nt need any convincing to be a part of the U.S. effort-as politically incorrect as it may seem now.I am in my mid 50's & remember vividly the competion w/ Soviet Russia .A battlfield existed in every classroom,athletic meet ,humanitairean mission in the developing world as well as in space exploration .Sadly none of that drive exists today , though Reagan gave it new life until the Challenger tradgedy.Obama does little to inspire his millenial demographic base to reach for those same stars.

John W. of AL 1:42AM July 20, 2009

True. This nation put a man on the moon. It also build Panama and Erie canals, built a transcontinental railroad, ramped up production seemingly overnight to meet the demands of WWII . . . and yet we can't even complete a 3.5 mile tunnel in Massachusets under budget and in time.
I also agree, it would be great IF we were capable of the next "Giant Leap for Mankind". But, I think the decision to "leap" would get mired in a congressional sub-committee trying to decide whether we should leap. Whereupon, millions will be spent studying why we feel the need to leap. Then congress will debate crawling versus walking versus leaping for a good year or two. Congress will spend millions to study crawling, walking, leaping and decide finally to creep (crawl/leap).
Since the "creep" is the brain child of the Executive branch, millions will be spent to inform the public on how we intend to "creep".
Harry Reid's three son's and son-in-law lobby for the "creep" and millions of dollars are funneled for projects related to creeping.
The public outcry of nepotism over creep-gate forces the President to create a "creeping Czar" where millions are spent to ensure accountability. Following the aftermath of creep-gate, the decision to "creep" is finally made.
Then, an ACLU flunky will decide that the use of the word "creeping" is offensive to the Oompa Loompas because they were unfairly characterized as "creepers" in Roald Dahl's novel Willy Wanka and the Chocolate Factory.
The 9th circuit court of appeals will side for the Oompa Loompas which put "creeping" on hold. Meanwhile, the Sotomayor will be the swing judge who, in while writing the majority opinion decides that "creeping" is unconstitutional because Oompa Loompas are minorities and need empathy based on "settled law". Whereupon, the idea of "creeping" will be remanded back to Congress where it will creep into oblivion.
Both parties, seeing how the OOmpa Loompas have suffered, will gerrymander to get Oompa Loompas into their congressional districts and law's will be written and millions spent in grant's to protect OOmpa Loompa minority status . . . All because we simply wanted to leap.
Good luck leaping with "creeping" big government!

David of ID 5:28AM July 19, 2009