[ America was founded on people leaving big government oppression in Europe
True. However, the world has run out of underpopulated continents. What became the United States was an escape valve for Europeans fleeing tyranny, poverty, and persecution for the first three centuries after the first successful English settlement at Jamestown. Where would Americans flee in the 2010s? Certainly not the other English speaking nations or Western Europe, which are generally worse than even the most liberal U.S. state. Latin America isn’t much better, although some countries like Costa Rica or Chile are relatively prosperous and free. The Middle East is out, except for Israel if you are Jewish. Maybe Eastern Europe, where traditional values are still relevant. East Asian societies are orderly and modern; however, the cultural differences are profound for white Americans.
All told. the best bet may be to stay here and persevere. ]
Actually there is an unsettled continent / domain and I don’t mean anything as radical as space colonization.
Underground settlements - an idea whose time has come.
We have the technology to build a self sufficient colony underground in a remote area like say, Antarctica, using the rock and dirt to mine thorium to power a molten salt reactor, using 3-D printing to make new habitats and vertical farming to feed the population. Even in a cold wasteland like Antarctica, the ground is warm if you go deep enough. We can expand the colony by mining out more habitats which gives more fuel for the reactors. You can mine the ice above for additional water as well. With enough energy you can recycle the water throughout vertical farming and aquaponics.
Far far easier than trying to build a moon colony, plus the lessons learned from it can lead to building a moon colony or mars colony later.
The next (easiest) frontier is underground....
Interesting concept, and one which, although not directly part of a space program, would develop techniques and technologies which would be later adapted to space colonization.
The United States is still an “underpopulated” continent. So is Asia. However, they are overgoverned.