Newt Gingrich is promising a moon base

[monk]

Okay, we think the Republican candidates are nutty. (at least I do). But now Newt says flat out that by the end of his second term we would have a permanent base on the moon with people living there. and it would be American.

If I thought that had and even 25% chance of success I would vote for him for president.

I am sitting here thinking of the damage a republican congress and president could do to this country and whether I would happily let it happen if there was even the remotest chance I could stand on the moon before I die.

[drunken dragon]

I'm gonna go with yes. I would absolutely exchange the downfall of America for an apartment on the moon.
That said I don't even want to vote, this year. Ugh.

[zibber]

Question.

Would there be a Starbucks?

I am sitting here thinking of the damage a republican congress and president could do to this country and whether I would happily let it happen if there was even the remotest chance I could stand on the moon before I die.

I don't get the whole hype. You ain't never been on a bouncy castle?

http://youtu.be/05ymX9Gapjo

[kelsa]

Nope, because I'm pretty sure I'd be in a re education program, or discriminated against in terms of hiring/choosing people to live there, or hiding out in another country if he gets elected, thanks to the whole being gay thing.

[spacefem]

See, this is what bugs me. Obama has cut NASA funding and repeatedly trashed my industry (general aviation) just for fun, I really think he hates flying or something and it infuriates me.

BUT on the other hand, he doesn't pour millions into non-science like "abstinence only education"... republicans just shut their ears off when shown evidence that that crap didn't work.

Really I guess it's all evidence that no politician is a friend to STEM. And it figures. It's not like they've got engineering degrees, engineers do not become president!

As for Newt... he's not the worst candidate ever. But there's crap like this:

We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and so they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto.

there ya go man, sell some racism, what could go wrong?

[Daktoria]

there ya go man, sell some racism, what could go wrong?

Seriously, wtf?

Freedom of association is not prejudiced. What's the difference between illegal immigration and someone being raped?

Furthermore, why should people be obligated to learn a second language? Should potential rape victims be obligated to communicate dissent in multiple ways?

[spacefem]

What's the difference between illegal immigration and someone being raped?

um... one of those things actually hurts people and destroys lives and is wrong? did you seriously just ask this question?

[Sonic#]

A big part of me, the part of me that once cuddled with books by Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, the part of me that really liked Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn, the part of me that devoured astronomy books like candy at a young age, the part of me that cries with joy whenever I think of a spaceship in the blue sky - I want a moon base. But I can't vote for GIngrich.

I don't think that there's the political will in Congress for such a major project. Unmanned exploration, sure. Limited human exploration, yes. A permanent moon base? In human history, we've only gone to the moon consistently enough for a moon base to be viable once, and that was in the early 70s. The cost was and will be exorbitant.

That, and Gingrich supports so many projects that I cannot in good faith vote for.

[Tweek]

While I am very monolingual I can see that it is good to have an understanding of other languages.

If immigrants should learn the local languages surely everybody people in America should speak the language of the local Native Americans

The idea of having a permanent scientific base on the moon on day is good; much like having a permanent base at the South Pole... colonisation of either would be mad though! His idea that it could get a population of 13,000 and become a US state is hilarious... I wonder what he's say if some other country tried that! Since it won't happen we don't need to worry about it though.

[Bork]

Wait, did he really promise that?? That's so awesome, I totally want to live on the moon.

[rowan]

I think we could feasibly do it, technologically, but I think it's pretty irresponsible to try to set up a moon base right now.

[kelsa]

Plus, this is one campaign promise...he has no real reason to keep it. People vote for him because of this, he gets into office, then it can disappear. The only president in history to keep all of his campaign promises was James K. Polk, and there's even some argument on that. I'd never vote for a hateful racist sexist nutcase just because of one far fetched, economically unsound proposal that seems really cool. I mean, if he did get elected and somehow made this possible, as I mentioned before, I (and many women on here) would not be going because we'd have no reproductive freedom and limited rights due to our gender, since his views on women are pretty appalling.

ETA: Can you even fathom what Republicans would be saying right now if President Obama had proposed or made mention of this as a possibility. I can hear the screams of fiscal irresponsibility and fanciful vote catching techniques from here.

[zibber]

ps. A rat done bit my sister Nell, and whitey's on the moon. Her face and arms began to swell, and whitey's on the moon.

"Universal health care is fascist! We need to put a very small group of morbidly priviliged & wealthy people on the moon instead!"

[Squaz]

It's not surprising that Republicans like Gingrich so much. They fall for his "charm" because they don't know what real charm is.

What's funny is how Romney is staggering AGAIN. Where are those social conservative values Republicans take pride in?

[LunchBox]

[rowan]

^that. is. awesome.

[Squaz]

How about if colonizing the moon gets Newt Gingrich away from us?

Outer space is pretty big. If chauvinists want their own little club, the big rock we call the moon is a fine place for them.

[rowan]

No, I like the moon. Send them to.... hmmm...

how about Phobos or Deimos?

[drunken dragon]

How about if colonizing the moon gets Newt Gingrich away from us?

Outer space is pretty big. If chauvinists want their own little club, the big rock we call the moon is a fine place for them.

I believe England did that with their prisoners and an island and BOOM! Now there's Australia. Which turned out to be a pretty rockin' place except for the racism.

[Ama]

And give them all the cool things? I think not!

[monk]

A big part of me, the part of me that once cuddled with books by Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, the part of me that really liked Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn, the part of me that devoured astronomy books like candy at a young age, the part of me that cries with joy whenever I think of a spaceship in the blue sky - I want a moon base. But I can't vote for GIngrich.

I don't think that there's the political will in Congress for such a major project. Unmanned exploration, sure. Limited human exploration, yes. A permanent moon base? In human history, we've only gone to the moon consistently enough for a moon base to be viable once, and that was in the early 70s. The cost was and will be exorbitant.

This^, and if we used half the money we've spent on the wars of the last decade on it, I think it would be viable since corporate interests would pitch in.

[Squaz]

[Bork]

PLEASE tell me that picture is on fb so I can share it.

[Mordak]

Just jumping in to say Australian's aren't as racist as everyone reckons. It's starting to shit me off..

Also, it seems the meth problem you have in America has finally reached Congress. Congratulations, and please send back moon cheese

[monk]

PLEASE tell me that picture is on fb so I can share it.

here you go, share away. http://imgur.com/qFOo7

Just jumping in to say Australian's aren't as racist as everyone reckons. It's starting to shit me off..

Also, it seems the meth problem you have in America has finally reached Congress. Congratulations, and please send back moon cheese

um, I don't know how racist Australia is, I get the impression (and it may be flawed) that Australia is behind the US on some progressive issues but ahead on others and is for the most part heading in the right direction under all categories unlike the US which seems to be doing some backsliding in stupidity.

and look out, if we had spent the same amount of money and effort on the going to the moon as we have in wars in foreign lands over the past decade I could likely go shopping at my local moon cheese store right now.