Gingrich vows to make the Moon 51st State by 2020 if Elected

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10237875-gingrich-promises-us-moon-colony-by-2020

This is probably one of the big areas that I've been very critical of Obama for - under his leadership, we have seen the sad and unnecessary decline of one of America's greatest institutions. And as for claiming the Moon for America, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I firmly believe that space travel has been held back almost single-handedly by the fact that no one can claim territory on extraterrestrial bodies. Forget that, I'd much rather live in a time period like the early colonial days, where the powers squabbled, bickered, and competed for territory in foreign lands. It is much more exciting! Humans are at their best when we have to compete with one another, I'm tired of living in a world where everything is standing still.

.......................................................................................................................................................

Oh wait, that kind of posts are probably not allowed.

Anyway, my answered would be NO. Seriously, if USA would really do that, they'd just seem jerks since they would be breaking some international treaties, no?

edited 25th Jan '12 8:29:00 PM by SpookyMask

Please. Everyone knows that the Moon actually belongs to Canada.

Ultimately , there are 3 things to consider:

1. We don't have the tech to get there and set up permanent colonies within 8 years anyways.

2. Isn't there a treaty stating that no one can own the moon?

3. Doesn't this contradict the basic GOP rhetoric of less government?

They want less government at home. Doesn't say anything about less government in other places.

Eh, not as bad as I thought the title of this thread presented it to be.

However, I'm interested in Gingrich's approached to the science research aspect of space travel.

Humans are also the absolute worst when it comes to bickering over land and resources. We have fought major wars over less. The Colonial era was a very war torn and violent times. It is a good thing we are not trying to fight over stuff in space.

NASA could quite safely get axed. We are not trying to launch any lunar missions, trying to get to mars is still out of our current reach, and we have bigger issues then pie in the sky space exploration. Fix the ground side first then worry about star side.

Saying NASA was declining under Obama's administration is ignoring the fact that it's been declining since at least Clinton's era. Hell, since the Soviet Union fell and we had no one to compete with on who had the biggest metaphorical dong.

Gingrich is unlikely to get the presidency, and even if he does he is unlikely to follow through on this particular promise very well. It would also spit in the face of "For all mankind". Remember that? That one moment where Armstrong could have said "for America" and instead decided to say "for everybody"? Yeah, fuck no to doing that. And yes, there is some kind of treaty regarding claiming celestial bodies. Don't know if the US signed, though.

We also just don't have the tech level to get there in eight years. As fast as things are advancing, it's mostly in the small, every day things that we use constantly. It's going to take more than eight years to set up something sustainable on the moon. All of this is just grandstanding on Gingrich's part.

Lately, whenever someone extolls the virtues of competition, my hair stands on end.

No, he won't.

Well he could put money toward it but I doubt it'd be successful by 2020 without international cooperation and Gringich is not likely to be a star in foreign policy.

Hahahahahaha...no.

I thought about posting more, but concision is key.

edited 25th Jan '12 9:01:31 PM by Ultrayellow

That...has to be the funniest thing I've read all day.

Even putting aside that it would be violating several international treaties and wasting an inordinate amount of money for what amounts to saying "my dick is bigger," thinking it's possible to do that is completely absurd.

I'm thinking he means this in a more metaphorical, rather than literal, light. As in, he's setting up an impossible goal to get America motivated about space again.

The sentiment is nice.

Well, technically, there's nobody on the Moon to rape, kill, or steal from (yet), so it's a good way to capture the competitive spirit of discovery (well, probably more like rational desire to exploit the land for all it was worth, but both are to be expected to be packaged together), minus all of the unfortunate side-effects of the bloody conquests.

Not to say that there won't be any unfortunate side-effects on Earth, though.

You know what's a better way to capture the competitive spirit of discovery? Fund medical research.

Is there a particular reason the title is a lie?

A colony is not the same thing as a state you know.

The article does mention later that enough people may eventually colonize on the moon soon that it will file for statehood.

Oh sure, tell them, why don't you?

But yeah, this is silly.

So, let me get this straight, you think that it's a good idea to blow billions upon billions of dollars to erect something we don't even have the technology to design, let alone build, in an impossible timeframe, re-enact one of the bloodiest times in human history, and violate various international treaties, just so we can look at the rest of the world and say "You may have affordable healthcare, amazing education, and less crime, but our dick is bigger?" Newt Gingrich, and anyone who thinks this is rational is, objectively, an idiot.

edited 25th Jan '12 10:58:18 PM by setnakhte

Agreed.

edited 25th Jan '12 11:06:20 PM by Gwirion

Someone has a large misunderstanding of space travel.

Nobody is going to get to a colony level, let alone that many people by then, and if it ever finally happens, it will be underinternational co-operation, not competiton, and this is hardly encouraging that.

Standard Newt strategy. distract from policy with delusional pie in the sky "aint america great?!" insanity.