[Porsche-O-Phile]

Cut it.

And that pains me to say - I love the space program and the accomplishments it has made. But I also think these are desperate times and if it were up to me, I'd spare nothing - not even the programs I happened to like. There can be no sacred cows. There's no money. The United States is broke and has no real prospects for serious wealth creation in the future (we no longer have any manufacturing or industrial clout).

Across-the-board 50% cut of all government expenditures. Wham. Just like that. Starting immediately. Any resulting surpluses go to paying down our deficit and getting off Chinese dependence. Then increase the cuts by 5-10% per year until you're down to about 20-25% of today's levels. For every single department, agency, program, etc. The only one I'd give a bit of a reprieve to is the military, and I'd still cut military spending too - down to the level necessary to protect our country at home, not embark on crusades around the world.

This (or something like it) has to happen, and if we lose the moon or Mars missions because of it, oh well. It WILL happen, whether by choice or by force of mathematics.

We should focus on fixing our own problems first - here at home (in America) before trying to fix the rest of the world's problems and CERTAINLY before going to Mars, the moon, etc.