Experts say Gingrich moon base dreams not lunacy

news.yahoo.com  h/t Instapundit

quote:

Much of the criticism of his space plans, especially in the media, have been unfair, said Alan Stern, NASA's space sciences chief during George W. Bush's administration. He said Gingrich is just thinking big, like a pioneer.

"That's how 'Star Trek' begins," said Stern, vice president of the Southwest Research Institute and director of the Florida Space Institute. "But when a government guy or politician talks that way, they just get clobbered about being unrealistic and that's unfortunate."

Comment:

This article didn't say enough.  Of course it is feasible from a technical point of view.  After all, we went there 40 years ago.  The big issue is the cost.

What the article doesn't mention is that there are efforts under way that could reduce the costs significantly.  If these efforts are successful, the idea of a moonbase will not only be feasible, as it already is, but also economically affordable.  When that happens, it will become politically feasible.

What was really unfortunate is that this wasn't pointed out during the debate.  Romney says it will cost a trillion dollars and that is totally absurd.  It was evidence of his ignorance on the subject, so the ridicule could have been redirected at Romney himself.  It was cheap and tawdry, and demeans the issue which is not in the best interest of the country.  Romney gained while the rest of the nation lost.  Sort of reminds you of what he did for Bain Capital.

Romney's victory in Florida could turn out to be a successful hostile takeover of the Republican Party.  After he finishes with the party, it will be bankrupted morally, ethically, and spiritually.  Instead of defending small government, which is what he pretends to do, he will continue fostering the notion that it can only be done by big government, so it will never get done at all.  The potential for entire new industries will have to wait until some other country with a enough vision and courage will do the job.  Evidently that quality is no longer in our own possession.  The "dark side" of the force has won.

All right, you can stop laughing now.  After all, you are only laughing at your own misfortune, which has been self inflicted.  That's what happens when you listen to a liar like Romney.

Update:

Byron York:  Why Romney won -- Why Gingrich lost
quote:

In Florida, Romney's answer was a second, even bigger, wave of attacks. And Gingrich reacted in the same complaining, self-defeating way he did the first time, only more so. Perhaps his angriest moment of the Florida campaign came last Thursday at a morning rally in Mount Dora, in the central part of the state. The event was held in a beautiful lakeside setting, on a beautiful day, before a big, enthusiastic Tea Party crowd -- the perfect backdrop for a positive, forward-looking campaign speech. Instead, Gingrich stepped into the sunlight and delivered an angry prologue to his stump speech, denouncing Romney's "gall," saying Romney "thinks we're stupid," railing at the negative ads, calling Romney's tactics "the desperate last stand of the old order, throwing the kitchen sink, hoping something sticks." The media narrative of that day was Gingrich's anger -- an entirely accurate summary.

Comment:

The "angry Newt" meme.  I think Newt needs to get some slack on this.  After all, Romney was on the attack.  What was he supposed to do, just sit back and take it?

It was a mistake perhaps to go all out ballistic.  A more precision type response could have been offered, as indicated above.  Newt can tie in all of what has been said before about Romney.  It could be delivered in more telling moment, in a debate, which could crystallize symbolically what has been happening to this party and compare it to what has been happening to this country.  The loser wing of the party, which blew the Reagan revolution, which blew the Contract with America, which is now blowing off the Tea Party movement, is symbolized by Romney.  It is the same modus operandi as before- take out the conservative wing and coopt it.  Gingrich needs to point it out again and again, and not let himself be intimidated by this "angry-Newt" meme that the loser wing has thought up in order to take over the Republican Party.

Update:

A bit of history could illustrate a point sometimes.  If history is forgotten, or important parts are overlooked, you may be missing something important.  History can literally turn on seemingly insignficant details.  I'm not a historian, per se, but I do know a bit about Texas' history.  Most people probably know about the Battle of San Jacinto, where Sam Houston's Army defeated Santa Ana's Army, and won Texas' independence from Mexico.  But what most people overlook, if modern day monuments are any indication, is that the battle was not won yet at San Jacinto.  Santa Ana escaped.  He was captured here, which is marked by only an insignificant marker about 10 miles from the battlefield.

Santa Ana capture site, near Houston Texas

The main battlefield is ostentatious compared to this little marker.  But the little marker is more significant than the big monument 10 miles down the road.  For if Santa Ana had gotten away, the war could have continued, and the victory won at San Jacinto may only be a footnote in history.  The Texan Army was still badly outnumbered and their own leader was wounded.  Just a small change in outcome, and the history of the United States could have been radically different today, because the entire Southwest portion of the country would still be a part of Mexico.  This would have been a different nation.

People ought to think about that before they cheer a guy like Romney, who makes light of the space program.  The history of a nation could be riding on that moment just as it did 10 miles away from the San Jacinto Battleground nearly 176 years ago.