[repentant_pundit]

That's a stretch.

I think we need to learn more about the bottom of the sea. I will do a 2-year scientific voyage to the bottom of the sea in exchange for 45 billion dollars pre-paid.

What do you mean, that's too much money ? Where's your spirit of adventure ? Don't you want knowledge that might help save the whales ? What have you got against whales ? We as a nation will stagnate without such voyages; we must maintain a sense of reaching beyond ourselves. There are some things you shouldn't put a price tag on, although I'm happy to send you the bill for it.

[RightWhale]

Forget it. The deep sea is closed to entry and mining.

[ambrose]

So do you propose that the space program be scrapped? Because without a mission to Mars, we may as well do just that. Klintoon's International Space Station is a waste of time and resources.

Face it, our space program has been pathetic these past 30 years. In reality, we should have been to Mars by the mid-80s, and maybe working on a manned mission to Titan (Saturn's moon) right about now. Sadly, we became incredibly small-minded during the 1970s.

As President Kennedy said, we do these things not because they're easy... we do them because they're hard!

[chimera]

Go for it. Lobby your elected representatives to support the effort. See how much support you can garner. Make your case. If it makes sense, you may find some support. Your legally elected representatives will make the decision. You can complain about taxes all you want, but you aren't being taxed without representation. If your dream is undersea exploration, make it a multipathed approach. Support not only your sacred and beloved private ventures, but try to gather public support as well. Something good may come of it. Who knows, you may rediscover in yourself some spark of adventure and creativity that may lead you, and the rest of us, to better things. I hope so, because evidently for many here, that spirit has died and is long gone.