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The saddest thing to me is that so many seem to be chugging the privatization kool aide. Its a wonderful goal but its also a fantasy as long as the international outer space treaty exists. Space is off limits to profit makers and military just like Antarctica.

Space is one of the rare instances where it generally would take government and/or military action to plow the way for private companies to follow although I have no objections if a private venture wants to go to the moon on their own.

As far as American companies are concerned, space taxis and cargo haulers is all they can aspire to. Aside from the occasional communications satellite they’ll primarily work on government contracts anyway.

Sad, ain't it? We are not only spinning our wheels in the snow but going backwards.

China on the other hand isn’t going to let any stinking treaties get in their way. They’ve already shown an interest in militarization and if they find a profit to be made we’ll be decades behind if ever.

I have to give my hats off to Red China and the Indians. They realize that 90% of all treaties are worthless and are actually a hamper on development. I have one rule, "treaties are made to be broken" and follow that with the corrolary, "just ask any American Indian."

Space is one of the rare instances where it generally would take government and/or military action to plow the way for private companies to follow

Government funded trailblazers are pretty common really. Think Magellan, Columbus, Balboa, Louis and Clark. The goal was always to find trade routes to make money.

What Obama is doing here is like taking the knowledge Louis and Clark gained, and handing it off for someone else to benefit from it.

“”treaties are made to be broken” and follow that with the corollary, “just ask any American Indian.”

Not true. Most Indian treaties are upheld - at least in recent history.

US Supreme Court ruling in three Treaty Tribe cases: The Constitution grants rights only to Treaty Indians - all others are granted mere privileges which can be revoked at any given time.

cf: Washington vs. Fishing Vessel for one. The other two involve Treaty Tribes in the Upper Midwest and Florida.