Gingrich promises 'moon colony' if he gets elected (twice)

[The Last Nomad]

I don't know anything about the man but this is what we (as a planet) need. We need to start getting the fuck of this rock before we can't...

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

Bullshit, total complete bullshit. Every president uses the "space exploration" card now days, but never goes through with it or worse CUTS funding to space programs.

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[Superior Mind]

It's like a bizarre satirical movie where cartoonish politicians try to outdo each other by promising grander and grander things to get people to vote for them. Gingrich has really gone for the knockout with this one. We'll just have to see if Romney comes back with an offer of free icecream on every Sunday and that he will personally come around and give everyone foot massages.

 

[Something Amyss]

Thoughts on this? It sounds like something a cartoon supervillain would promise to sway naive followers (or closer to "I got some yummy candy in mah van...").

Well, yeah. What he didn't mention is he's going to send the poor people there, then cut it off from supplies.

Kind of wonder how this is going to play to the "cut everything" base of the republicans.

 

[Chased]

Hopefully he'll get elected and then Ken Levine can make a sweet game out of this.

 

[Something Amyss]

It's like a bizarre satirical movie where cartoonish politicians try to outdo each other by promising grander and grander things to get people to vote for them. Gingrich has really gone for the knockout with this one. We'll just have to see if Romney comes back with an offer of free icecream on every Sunday and that he will personally come around and give everyone foot massages.

Romney's going to declare war on the Galactic Confederacy.

 

[Tipsy Giant]

Typical conservative, moans about spending while liberals are in power trying to help the poor, while they promise huge contracts to their financial backers.

If one thing needs to change, it's lobbying.
A Bribe by any other name is just as sour!

 

[Arrogancy]

Well, I can't fault him for ambition. While Newt Gingrich isn't my candidate, it is an intriguing concept. However, that said, it's a concept for another time. More specifically, a time when we're financially sound and can afford to dump money into a space-colonization program.

 

[everythingbeeps]

[link]http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/post/gingrich-pledges-moon-colony-during-presidency/2012/01/25/gIQAmQxiRQ_blog.html[/link]

As it says in the story, Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has promised that by the end of his second term in office he will have established a permanent colony on dear 'ol Luna. He goes even further and promises to engineer a spaceship capable of reaching Mars.

Thoughts on this? It sounds like something a cartoon supervillain would promise to sway naive followers (or closer to "I got some yummy candy in mah van...").

That's because, in an effort to improve his image, he's trying to be more like a cartoon supervillain.


Honestly, if people go for this it just proves how dumb some of those voters are. Even if you had this moon base fully designed and funded TODAY (which we don't!), it wouldn't be operational in 9 years.

 

[Matt King]

sorry, why do we need a moon base? (i know it's fucking cool)

 

[bluegate]

Although a moon base would be pretty cool and nifty, I fail to see the reason to go there. Instead of declaring you will try to make a moon base, first create a space elevator of sorts, so that we have a relatively cheap way to get materials up in space which would be necessary to support life on a moon base. Then create a decent space station and use that as a jumping off point to explore space.

Moon base, aside from bragging rights, sounds like an expensive operation with no real purpose. Would be cool though.

 

[Cazza]

Like hell he could get the funding for that. The time frame is also retard. He would lose office and the project would be scrapped. Thats the biggest BS to get elected. So many election promises are never seen again after elected. This one would be the first to go.

 

[Sandytimeman]

I do worry about his apparent ignorance of and/or disregard for the 1967 Outer Space Treaty that states that "outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means", so no Moon colony could actually be part of any Earth nation. It would have to be run like the International Space Station.

He may have kept that in mind, because he never referred to it as "an American colony" (that I recall, at least). I think if it were run like the ISS it would be a grand idea, fostering friendly international relations and whatnot. I just think it would be obscenely difficult to construct, because it would have to be flown to the moon in pieces and put together up there.

I think it's a great idea, I just don't think it's a realistic goal with the state of the economy right now.

There is a large amount of space debris from old satellites fuel tanks from space shuttle launches etc up there. They should get that stuff together and crash land it on the moon. Plenty of raw materials to make a start, considering how expensive it is to get materials up there that is.

 

[Macgyvercas]

I think I'll still keep to my plan to vote for Vermin Supreme. He's promising every American a free pony.

 

[deshorty]

I only have one question. Will this moon base come equipped with a death laser? If the answer is no, then this is a huge waste of time and money. If the answer is yes, then it will still be a huge waste of time and money, only more awesome.
Still though, this is an incredibly stupid idea.

 

[RatRace123]

OK, for the sheer balls out crazy awesomeness of that promise I may just vote for him.
We actually should focus on colonizing the moon, if only because it'd be really really cool.