Why Can't We?

 I just watched an informative video on why we haven't been to the moon in 50 years.  First of all, there are those who insist we never went.  Try to explain how the US spent nearly 300 billion dollars in today's money to get there.  That right there says a lot of money was wasted on nothing.  NASA's budget was 5% of the entire US budget at the time.  And you can believe if NASA faked it...  well, just let me say, "No Way!!"  

We lost three astronauts in training and nearly lost three more coming back.  No.  National pride was at stake then.  The Russians were our fiercest enemy and national pride said we had to beat them.  And we did it with less computing power than the first Game Boy.  There were people back then who had stuff in their heads about how to do it.  A lot of stuff about the Saturn V rocket was in the minds of many people.  

Going to the moon back then involved a lot of brain power in minds that no longer exist.  Who uses a slide these days?  There were plans back then, but a lot of those plans had to be held in heads that simply aren't around any longer.  Back then a lunar visit was literally for hours and not a week as planned by NASA now.  More stuff is needed.  More planning is needed.  More of everything is needed.  So, new stuff is needed.  New plans, new rockets, and virtually new everything.  

We aren't willing to risk lives today like we did back then.  There are new people who've needed years, if not decades, of training.  And everyone wants a piece of the action, from politicians to small towns all over the country.  And a lot of the work is privatized.  NASA is just half of a percent of the US budget today.  So, private industry has to make up the difference, which means more corruption and everyone getting in on the action.  

Our priority has changed, along with our politics, and our policies have changed along with our goals and reasons for going.  If we did not go to the moon back then, there is no way NASA could have kept it a secret.  Not with NASA making up 5% of the total US budget back then.  Congress has a fit with just half a percent of the budget going to NASA now!  Imagine the uproar not having gone would have been!  History can't hide that!  Congress is having a fit over the cost of 130 million for elections!  Imagine NASA trying to hide 300 billion in today's money!  Just think about it.

I am thinking about it while smoking my pipe this morning.  One quarter of a trillion dollars just to get to the moon and for a few hours at a time.  No, I'll drink my  Black Rifle Headless Horseman Pumpkin Spice coffee this morning and smoke my Boswell pipe with some Jamaica Rum tobacco and try to wrap my head around those who deny we went to the moon. Thank you for your time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave