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Yes you are right, colonizing space is in many ways different than colonizing the Americas...
One of those ways is that the former is currently impossible.
Once we get nuclear fusion going as a practical power source, who knows? That's where my money is. And that's where our money should be going. That'll get us off this planet faster than.... well, actually getting off the planet.
Not only that, it will provide a viable, safer source of energy for down here on earth. A form of cold fusion intruduced into our power grid, if I understand it correctly, will provide more power than all of our nuclear power plants combined. I don't know if that's true, but it sounds damned impressive.
I think our money should also go into R&D to develop fully functional hydrogen powered cars (not fuel cells, hydrogen gas. There are actually ways to convert standard cars into hydrogen-powered beast). Hydrogen is cheap, plentiful, and clean. It would also piss off people who rely on oil to keep power. Further, I've actually seen a "personal helecopter" that seats one, and is as easy to control as a car. If this could be hydrogen-powered, it would be an awesome commuter vehicle! Fuck the traffic, just fly 60 feet above the ground!
For travel outside of our solar system, and to others, we would need some other form of travel. Not neccesarily propulsion. The idea of "warp" is not impossible. It's not likely, but it's possible that it could work. Warping space closer together so that one may simply travel through a "tunnel", similar to a wormhole.
But for now, the short term goals are alternate power for the grid, alternate fuel source for vehicles, and getting to the moon and mars. All three of these could create new jobs, save money for our economy, and stimulate growth. They're not far-off implausible ideas that we have to wait around for. The technology is around, but it's just not being used. The cold-fusion is difficult, but from what I understand of it, it's possible, and supposedly, it can be done.
Also, instead of relying 100% on the power companies and paying out the nose for their energy, get some solar panels if you can. They cost a lot, but I've heard they save a lot more. In sunnier areas, you could actually start collecting checks from the power company!
Maybe I'm just being idealistic, but I like these ideas. I don't care what party someone's with, if they promise me I'll be seeing hydrogen powered cars, and an astronaut's foot on Mars in my lifetime, they'll likely have my vote. :D
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Do you want ants? Because that's how you get ants.
