He pretty much lost me with his "the USA is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to mediocrity" and the "to be without carriage to low Earth orbit ... destines our nation to become one of second or even third rate stature" lines.
In an environment of extreme political and economic turbulence, the status of the space program is about the last thing I'm concerned about. The space program was a useful ideological tool when it was fresh. Now any state with enough cash can launch.
How many nations have put a man into space? I think we're up to three.
I can't say I'm all for a race to Mars, but I think need to make constant progress, and we can't let the program fall apart. It will cost even more money and years to restart it.
As it currently stands, we have a space station and for the next few years America won't own a ship to get there.
In an environment of extreme political and economic turbulence, the status of the space program is about the last thing I'm concerned about. The space program was a useful ideological tool when it was fresh. Now any state with enough cash can launch.