"It all boils down to "we should spend this money, and cripple science and exploration and innovation for the next generation-- as we did to OUR generation, because a few boys and their fanboys crave a cool ride.""
Nonsense.
See the NASA inspired PRIVATE efforts described at: http://www.heinleinprize.com/index.htm
I fear, however, that Rutan and his toadies have jumped the shark. People are starting to notice that even if Rutan succeeds in what he want in the way of tourism--that it'll be the same dreary rides as with the Shuttle. I'd love for the frivolous pilots to get what they want--thrills and glory and bragging rights in the pilot's lounge--and let the engineers expore space.
"Deep Impact" went 200M miles into space. It struck an object going 100K per hour with an object going 18K miles per hour. It returned photos and new knowledge about the behavior of solar system inhabitants with no need to cater to the safety and egos of pilots.
It is crazy to believe that we can do any significant human space travel before we fully exploit the potential of robotics. It is the robots who will have to lead the way, or we will never be able to go.
But the dizzy pilots are too selfish to allow the focus to ever drift away from them, wonderful them. Pilots stopped space exploration in the seventies, and they are determined to continue crippling it in the name of their overriding and stunningly SELFISH agenda. My ride. Mine, mine.