Poll: Would you support the building of a manned moon base?

[tangent4ronpaul]

http://online.wsj.com/community/groups/question-day-229/topics/would-you-support-building-manned?commentid=1700430

81% say yes...

-t

[Dr.3D]

Only if it was done without using tax money. If some private party wants to build a moon base, more power to them.

[Jeremy]

Public or private?

[LibertyEagle]

I don't have enough information to be able to say. I am one who does believe that every once in a blue moon (ha) that something might legitimately qualify as a national security interest. I doubt that this moon base does, but I don't have enough information from which to judge, at this point.

[MelissaWV]

Only if it was done without using tax money. If some private party wants to build a moon base, more power to them.

This. On its face, my answer to the question is "yes," but really only because I wouldn't mind investing in such a venture (without a real expectation of a return). Using my taxes? I vote "no" on anything when it comes to that.

[Aratus]

in the 21st or 22nd century? yes.. we can! mars or the stars too? i am into scifi!

[Brian4Liberty]

Of course the irony here is that the welfare/warfare advocates have united in saying that spending on space is a waste... :rolleyes:

[Sentient Void]

Make sure you guys read that debate going on between Rich (the libertarian) favoring private enterprise and homesteading on the moon, vs your typical left "Liberal" favoring an 'international' and 'global effort' moon base.

BTW, the poll is about using taxpayer money - so it would be public. On this, I voted a resounding *NO*.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Lets get rid of this public private stuff - it's booring and ppl just say the same thing over and over.

How about you have 2 choices:

1) US moon base paid for with US tax dollars

2) Chinese moon base paid for with interest on US debt (read US tax dollars)

Before you vote, consider that freeing really large rocks (mining / weapons) from such a low gravity environment wouldn't be that hard, and that launching deep space craft from there would be much more effective than having to deal with earths gravity.

Pick one...

[Kotin]

The reptilians would not like that..

[Dripping Rain]

Lol

[johngr]

Before they do that, they should send a man to the moon (for real, this time).

[Meatwasp]

I am for it in one sense. In another sense i feel sad I won't be able to gaze up there at the moon and think how free and wild it is.

[Sentient Void]

I am for it in one sense. In another sense i feel sad I won't be able to gaze up there at the moon and think how free and wild it is.

Oh yeah - those moon parties are crazy, dude!

[RM918]

Lets get rid of this public private stuff - it's booring and ppl just say the same thing over and over.

How about you have 2 choices:

1) US moon base paid for with US tax dollars

2) Chinese moon base paid for with interest on US debt (read US tax dollars)

Before you vote, consider that freeing really large rocks (mining / weapons) from such a low gravity environment wouldn't be that hard, and that launching deep space craft from there would be much more effective than having to deal with earths gravity.

Pick one...

More goddamned 'Race to beat the Communists' shit? Fuck that.

[Bern]

Do we need to negotiate land rights with the aliens?

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/2b/66/9296810ae7a0855ed9d69110.L._SL500_AA300_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/We-Discovered-Alien-Bases-Moon/dp/0942176006)

[Original_Intent]

Can we send all politicians to live there?

[mczerone]

Great, 81% of taxpayers (presumably) are for this. It may be a good decision to have a base off of terra firma, and it may have actual economic returns exceeding the costs.

Do you favor threatening to jail or shoot those who don't find this a good idea? That is the real political question. If you (ahem, tangent4rp) even add the fact that if "we" don't, the Chinese will, the question still remains: Even with this added analysis with higher stakes, do you support shooting those who refuse to pay?

This is always the question, whether the issue is federal funding for stem cell research, funding and popularizing abortion, income tax structure, public school curricula, federal criminal prosecution, national defense structure, space exploration, prohibition, food regulation, financial regulation, or the provision of justice itself.

May the case be made that some of these things are of such importance that you can justify threatening jail or death upon the non-participants? Sure, some them might - but even then, are you willing to use the same threat against those who don't think the dissenters should be threatened to support the cause, to ensure that they will permit their resources to go to ensuring this support?

So if person A wants to refrain from funding this moon-base (or use cannabis, or kill their neighbor), and you can justify throwing them in jail, can you justify robbing person B to pay for this imprisonment? Can you justify robbing person C to make sure that you have enough resources to rob B? Person D to rob C? Would you yourself fund any of this chain?

Note that sometimes there is a justification for forced obedience (e.g. not murdering) - but even then there is a chain of "support" necessary to secure the obedience, that must also be analyzed in terms of justice.

[Dr.3D]

Well, of course, if it's for the greater good, everybody should have to pitch in and support a project to build a manned lunar base. :rolleyes:

Let them do it with donations. If in fact some 81% really believe it is a good idea to have a lunar base, there should be no problem with them funding it on their own.

[2young2vote]

Oh yeah - those moon parties are crazy, dude!

This is funny because i just got done reading a book and in that book the moon was considered the Las Vegas of the solar system. Casinos, partying, and all of that stuff. People went there to blow a ton of money, have sex (STDs have been eliminated due to the unregulated healthcare market), drink your guts out, and just relax. Sounds like fun.

In reality I don't want to pay for it, but Ron Paul says NASA isn't enough of a money sucker to get rid of early on. If my tax dollars are going to be spent on something wasteful, it might as well be something that is actually interesting.

[Brian4Liberty]

Well, of course, if it's for the greater good, everybody should have to pitch in and support a project to build a manned lunar base. :rolleyes:

Let them do it with donations. If in fact some 81% really believe it is a good idea to have a lunar base, there should be no problem with them funding it on their own.

It would probably get more voluntary funding that it ever would from the share of taxes that politicians give to it now. Welfare/Warfare are their priorities.

[Madly_Sane]

As long as it isn't funded by the gov't... any gov't for that matter :p

[Daamien]

Sure, I'd be glad to support the measure if we would withdraw from occupying other countries and focus instead on occupying the moon. Obviously that isn't likely to happen, so I'd vote no in the meantime.