Those who came before us made certain that this country rode the first waves of the industrial revolution, the first waves of modern invention, and the first wave of nuclear power, and this generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space. We mean to be a part of it--we mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace. We have vowed that we shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding.

Yet the vows of this Nation can only be fulfilled if we in this Nation are first, and, therefore, we intend to be first. In short, our leadership in science and industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to ourselves as well as others, all require us to make this effort, to solve these mysteries, to solve them for the good of all men, and to become the world's leading space-faring nation.

We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say that we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours.

There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic?

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

Of course, it was JFK.

At the St. Louis Science Center, they had on display for some time the golf cart that Kennedy rode in when he visited my fair town to inspect the various facilities that were building parts to send men to the moon. This otherwise nondescript cart represented to my feeble mind the promise, vigor, confidence, hope, and enthusiasm this country had in its future and what it could (and ultimately would) accomplish. 

Well, contrast that to Obama, who just announced today that they are scotching any plans to return to the Moon. They are scotching the plans for this reason:

"We certainly don't need to go back to the moon," one administration official said.

Instead, according to White House insiders, agency officials, industry executives and congressional sources familiar with Obama's plans, NASA will look at developing a "heavy-lift" rocket that one day will take humans and robots to explore beyond low-Earth orbit. That day will be years away.

The White House will direct NASA to concentrate on Earth-science projects -- principally, researching and monitoring climate change -- and on a new technology research and development program designed to someday enable human exploration of asteroids and the inner solar system.

Everyone interviewed for this article spoke on condition of anonymity, either because they are not authorized to speak for the White House or because they fear for their jobs. All are familiar with the broad sweep of Obama's budget proposal, but none would talk about specific numbers because these are being tightly held by the White House until the release of the budget.

My response:

What the fuck? Seriously, what the fucking fuckity fucking fuckbagging fueled flight to Whore Island is this fucking shit? Seriously, what the fuck?

*Cue "Battle Hymn of the Republic"*

What the fuck has happened to this fucking country? Have we fucking lost our competitive drive? Have we lost our fucking desire to be the fucking best out there? Have we fucking lost the desire to taunt the rest of teh world with our fucking cockflag of awesomeness planted right in the lovetrails of the Moon and Mars? Have we lost the willingness to do what it took to be the best and then feast on the Warpoontang Of Triumph? What the fuck happened to our desire to dream big fucking dreams, achieve mighty triumphs, and to skullfuck the solar system into submission? Has this nation become this fucking retarded? Has this nation chosen instead to go down the fuckladen path of fecklessness into fistfucking forest of FAIL that we no longer want to be exceptional?

And to kill this stuff over Global Fucking Warming? Seriously? Over a fucking scam fueled by a fat fucktub of a failed Presidential candidate and a few polar bears?  We are fucking better than that. We can do better, and if we continue to fucking pare back our goals from the lofty to the ludicrous, we really are fucked.

*end "Battle Hymn of the Republic"*

Fuck this shit. Fuck it hard with Pennywise's teeth.

Posted by: eddiebear at 11:28 AM | Comments (21) | Add Comment
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