President Bush To Call For Return To Moon?

Brian Stretch writes " According to the National Review: 'When President Bush delivers a speech recognizing the centenary of heavier-than-air-powered flight December 17, it is expected that he will proffer a bold vision of renewed space flight, with at its center a return to the moon, perhaps even establishment of a permanent presence there. If he does, it will mean that he has decided the United States should once again become a space-faring nation.' Here's hoping. The article also includes talk of nuclear engines and using the moon as a testbed for going to Mars."

I'm Moving

[php_pheen]

Finally, an opportunity to live somewhere that doesn't suck... not yet anyway...

And thus....

[bloodrose]

Bush Phones Home

What's the real reason

[Anonymous Coward]

Must ... cover ... up ... economy problems ... iraq problems ... re-election soon ...

The possible reasons why:

[Anonymous Coward]

1. There are weapons of mass destruction on the moon.
2. Saddam or Osama, or both, may be hiding in a moon crater.
3. The moon is made of oil.
4. Don't want those pinko commie Chinese taking over our moon.
5. Because the Mooninites are really funny and he wants to meet them.

I nominate Bush to be on first flight to the moon

[Anonymous Coward]

We always knew Bush was looney... now he's just plain lunar.

Re:A small step for mankind......

[Anonymous Coward]

YAY! Republicans have finally left that stodgy old '50s stereotype and stepped into the 60s!

Re:I'm Moving

[Kneht]

You'll find nothing sucks so hard as a vacuum though.

Next man on the moon

[Anonymous Coward]

My vote is to stick 'Dubya' into a spacecraft and fire it off toward the moon. If it hits, great... if not... who cares? Either way it's one less f***ing moron here on planet earth.

Yup, Bush calls for return to moon!

[Kirk Troll]

That's the best idea I've ever heard! Lets rocket Bush to the Moon! ;)

Re:I'm Moving

[DarkBlackFox]

It's a partial vacuum. It sucks by default.

Oh no!

[Call Me Black Cloud]

Coincidentally, I just rented a couple of the Space 1999 DVDs from Netflix and all I can say is this is a bad idea. Magnetic fields will hurt the lunarnauts' brains and make them attack the other colonists!

And need I mention the Terrible Space Secret [somethingawful.com]? I think not...

I will say Space 1999 had the coolest looking ships of any series. They actually seemed to be well designed and functional.

Re:The possible reasons why:

[Anonymous Coward]

I hear he's going to liberate the moon from Earth's orbit.

Free the moon now!

Agreed!

[ath0mic]

It is time to liberate the people of the moon!

Re:Baby Steps

[Jardine]

Not to mention that the moon people seem a lot less hostile than the martians. Damn martians keep shooting down our probes.

Actually

[commodoresloat]

He's just figuring we might find WMD there.

How about...

[Fear the Clam]

America proposes to send just Bush to the Moon? I'm sure such a proposal would do much to re-establish cooperation with other countries.

Gimme a break.

[Feztaa]

Nothing but more lunacy from the Bush administration.

Re:I couldn't agree more

[Anonymous Coward]

"Why not, budget's shot to hell anyway"

I've recently decided that large sums of money are simply imaginary. The united states owes hundreds of billions of dollars(trillions?). To whom? When does it have to be paid back? Imaginary. Keep on spending.

Re:Weird

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm a geek

You misspelled "redneck."

Permanent moon base

[bender_is_great]

Finally, public transport to my "10 Acre Lifestyle block". [lunarrealty.com.au]

Now, where did I put my deed and lunar map...

Re:Thank you China!

[TedCheshireAcad]

If the moon flew planes into our skyscrapers, we would have people on it inside of a week. :)

Re:A reply to those who freak out at 'nuclear'

[Anonymous Coward]

We can't allow any possibility of radiation leaking into space.

Won't somebody please think of the children?!

Re:What's the real reason

[fenix down]

God, this has to be like the 6th time I've explained this thing this week.

Go to Advanced Search and check Occurances. Those are all the places Google looks for your search phrase in relation to a page. In the title, the URL, the text, and in links to the page. Thus, every time we say miserable failure [whitehouse.gov] W's bio moves up in the ranks.

So, (miserable failure [whitehouse.gov]) Google is not (miserable failure [whitehouse.gov]) actually (miserable failure [whitehouse.gov]) conspiring to overthrow our beloved (miserable failure [whitehouse.gov]) leader, (miserable failure [whitehouse.gov]) it's just me. (miserable failure [whitehouse.gov])

Re:$500 Billion in debt.

[bigberk]

Um, I think you'll find the debt (current account deficit) is $7 trillion

Actually, it's only $6,918,260,082,500.99 [treas.gov] (I love how they throw the .99 in there, like that fools us eh?)

Re:I couldn't agree more

[buffer-overflowed]

And in inverse: The same could be said for Ann Coulter.

Only Coulter is a lot younger and more attractive than Molly Ivins.

A call to arms.

[Anonymous Coward]

We must reach the moon first and build a military base to prevent terrorists from using it against us!!!

Re:Thank you China! (and Russia)

[bsharitt]

The Russians are experts at getting and staying in Low Earth Attitude. I might be wrong, but I don't believe that they ever even tested a large booter like the Saturn 5.

Well, they did test one, it just blew up on the launch pad.

How can you tell it's from the National Review?

[ndinsil]

The crack about Congressional Democrats would likely challenge a presidential declaration that the sky is blue.

In the interest of equal time I'd like to point out any such declaration would likely contain amendments authorizing Ashcroft to eat babies of suspected terrorists, promoting Justice Scalia to Pope of the One True Faith, and paying Halliburton $1 billion to stripmine Yellowstone and sell the tailings as a food additive.

Not the first time google has done such a thing...

[ThomasFlip]

Just type in "weapons of mass destruction" and hit "im feeling lucky", a windows error screen pops up with a few funny Bush bashing statements.

I didn't know

[certsoft]

I didn't know Halliburton built space rockets.

Re:Money?

[donutello]

This scored a 5: Insightful?
"Houston Astros" : Uh, get your facts straight, buddy. Mr. Bush never owned or managed the Houston Astros. He owned (NOT managed) the Texas Rangers.

You must be new here.

Re:The possible reasons why:

[GraemeL]

It's part of the missile defense plan. The moon is a great place to throw rocks from. Just ask Mike.

Of course, he may learn that The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

Re:I couldn't agree more defcon4

[fenix down]

Bush didn't steal the election, for Christ's sake, the Supreme Court did. As was befitting the fact that elections are not fucking football games the Florida Supreme Court happilly ignored both Bush and Gore and did what they felt would satisfy them that the law was being upheld. Sadly, the Supreme Court was under the impression that elections are fucking football games in which it is the responsibility of the candidate to fight his side and tough shit for the voters if he doesn't.

Since then, of course, the numbers of conservatives in the country have exploded (I think we're down to 20-something% willing to call themselves "liberal" now) resulting in the 2002 election, and the Democratic party has splintered into Clinton vs. DLC vs. Dean vs. confused conservatives (as much to blame for 2k2 as anything else) while the Republicans have transformed into fucking Voltron or something under DeLay, crushing their enemies and seeing them driven before them to the lamenting of their women.

Ultimately, though, I think that'll be what fucks the Republicans. They aren't made for unity. It burns up all the talk-radio power just holding them together at this point. Sometime soon, sooner if Bush loses, maybe 6 months later if he doesn't, the Christan/neocons are going to have to break with the normal Republicans. Sadly, I think the real Republicans are going to get the shit end of that deal. I just hope somebody's around to slow down the flying monkeys once they shed all those damn rational people that've been holding them down.

Re:Thank you China! (and Russia)

[Cylix]

The old fashioned way...

Yeah, I was thinking about a large sling shot too. I mean, Wile E. Coyote used several of them and they worked just find. Not counting the several times he maimed himself, but I'm thinking all the bugs should be worked out.

Think about it...

Note, IANAALS (I am not an acme labs salesman)

Re:Okay, before you flame people

[orthogonal]

Domestic problems (healthcare, SS, etc . . .) remain neglected.

Now you're just wrong about that!

Reichsminister John Ashcroft will not neglect to secure full funding for his SS.

Of course, to do this, some luxuries will have to be dispensed with, just for the duration of the war. Luxuries like that pesky 4th Amendment. And like "designated free speech zones" for demonstrators. After all, anyone who criticizes the government is supporting terrorism.

But be confident, Citizen! We're doing all of this to keep you safe during the Permanent Crisis. We'll even tell you know what opinions are safe for you to believe!

And of course, if you disagree, we'll be happy to record your objections. Just let us see your papers, Citizen!

Re:Gimme a break.

[Lord_Dweomer]

1. Make bad pun
2.?????
3.KARMA!!!!!

Google? What the Heck?

[MudDude]

Howdie,

Has anyone recently tried entering "miserable failure" in Google?

Can you tell me what happens?

Regards,

Well, that's the Clangers up the creek...

[Channard]

Presumably they and the Soup Dragon will end up living on reservations soon, while the colonists take over and build cheese-mines to tap its natural resources.

What do you mean, 'not real?'. Next you'll be telling me the Button Moon landing was faked.

Look, it's not a question of physics!

[fireboy1919]

And the more accurate usage is not :
"President Bush to Call for Return TO the moon";
its:
"President Bush to Call for Return OF the moon";

Whoever took the moon had better give it back, soon.

We NEED the moon. We need it for the children. This is a war - a war on terror. A war against whoever took the moon.

President Bush has called for a return of the moon - and with good reason!

How else are we going to govern the tides? I've done it by hand, and let me tell you, this "moon" thing they came up with is a lot better. I, for one, will be glad when it's were it belongs - back in the US, and out of the hands of terrorists.

Re:What's the real reason

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh yeah miserable loser [slashdot.org]? You think that's funny you miserable loser [slashdot.org]? Yeah, ha ha, you miserable loser [slashdot.org]. Yep that fenix down is a real miserable loser [slashdot.org]. And guess what, miserable loser [slashdot.org], one last time you're a miserable loser [slashdot.org]!

Re:I couldn't agree more

[chillmost]

Only Coulter is a lot younger and more attractive than Molly Ivins

Yeah but Coulter is really a man so it doesn't count

It's War!

[peterpi]

Bush is expected to declare war on the moon, saying that it has been harbouring terrorists.

For too long, the moon and Mars have been a partnership of evil in today's solar system.

Re:Why do you want to go to the moon?

[madprof]

It isn't?
Damn and I was looking to living in an Arco...

Another Bush and we're finished.

[Anonymous Coward]

The last Bush said we would put man on Mars. This one says we should put man on the Moon. Will a president Jenna Bush urge the country to put man on Greenland?

Re:I couldn't agree more

[F34nor]

Did you read the report on Slashdot a few weeks ago? It said that solar farms on the moon could increase the average income of a U.S. Citizen form ~$30,000 to ~130,000. So if they are right this could be VERY good for the poor and middle class. We just better make sure that its power AND its money flow down to Earth.

Never forget the lessons Gundam has taught us. Don't try and take advantage of people living in space, its easy to drop stuff from up there.

I agree

[cpn2000]

President Bush To Call For Return To Moon

I agree, he should really return to the moon ... and stay there for gods sake.

Decisions, decisions...

[mjh]

The /. conundrum:

• Hate Bush
• Love space travel

What to do? What to do?

Re:I couldn't agree more

[F34nor]

Funny, sounds like your talking about the Space Elevator or the LEO Crane!

If we want to get off this friken rock the Space Elevator is the only choice. 2 ton payloads, 8 climbers per ribbon 2 ribbons. A DEAL at 15 billion. So like I've said before...

HEY NANOFIBER ENGINEERS, STOP READING SLASHDOT AND GET BACK TO WORK!!!

Re:Award for first kneejerk liberal anti-Bush post

[paganizer]

Hey! us right wing nuts bash Bush also!

Moon base = Missile base

[Anonymous Coward]

Right. I'm thinking he's more likely to put missiles on the moon. Besides, doesn't the US have to go to the moon to prove it was there the first time? ;)

It would be MUCH cheaper this time.

[nerdwarrior]

Think about it. We could outsource all the engineering and programming to India. Then, we could ship all the high-tech manufacturing to China. Oh, and while we're at it, Russian cosmonauts work for just hundreds a month, so we wouldn't need to waste our money on overpaid American astronauts. We could even outsource mission control to a call center in India. ("Is the power to the moon base on?" "Have you tried rebooting the moon base?") Imagine the savings!

With all these cost-cutting measures available, we could have an American moonbase for a quarter the price!