Reply #3: It's not the Moon and Mars

[Dogmudgeon]

Don't be deceived. The Moon/Mars projects are being set up to take the rap. What Team Bush really wants is for NASA to be militarized, and to hell with the Moon, Mars AND Earth science programs.

They know how to work people -- get 'em pissed at human space exploration, then when the heat is off, move as much as they can into the "black" space program. It's a form of political sleight-of-hand. This was done several times during the Reagan-Poppy Bush era, and may have contributed to the Challenger disaster in 1986.

Clever, huh?

We're spending $600 billion on the war in Iraq; about 1/30th that amount on NASA; and maybe one-tenth of the NASA budget on human space exploration. They're pulling our collective chain. Space exploration -- and other worthwhile public projects -- should be getting the money that is now being used to decimate the Middle East and feed its people (and our troops) to the Bush meat grinder.

--p!