No Money for Space But Billions For Corruption

SEE HERE I think it is not just a shame but a failure of both vision and sense that the United States is no longer capable of sending astronauts up to near earth orbit on our own hardware.  The Earth Moon system is of immense importance both commercially and potentially militarily.  We'd get off our duff fast enough I'd hope if Russia or China set up housekeeping on the moon and started building a large mass accelerator.  If you don't know what I'm talking about then check out Robert Heinlein's science fiction and Gerald O'Neill's colonies in space. SEE MORE  If we no longer have the vision to explore and develop the technology to command the high frontier then we are done as a nation.  Space is certainly not the most important thing, but it is a sign of our commitment to the future and failing that we are done.