Whats the big idea?

[candycorn]

With deference to Grumps talking about no worthy debates...I'll try to start one to get the intellecutal juices flowing here...

Rise above politics for a moment:

What should be the next "big thing" we do as a nation? Define it any way you want but I'll give an example.

Hoover Dam for example. If you were to suggest building it today I think you'd get laughed out of the room. The Golden Gate Bridge? Any takers on that?

I think the next "big thing" should be transcontinental high speed rail myself. We could start tomorrow. Chicago to Denver in 90 minutes would be the first step

 

[Baruch Menachem]

See my challenge in the Rep Ho zone.

200 words on why it would be a good idea with back up.

Go!

 

[Big Black Dog]

I think clearing out all of the deadwood and no-goods out of Washington, DC would be a great place to start. Replace them all with some honest, forward-thinking people who are interested in doing what is best for the American people instead of their own political party or personal agendas. Then we should move forward with making America great again and begin with a project such as the high speed rail.

 

[Robert_Stephens]

With deference to Grumps talking about no worthy debates...I'll try to start one to get the intellecutal juices flowing here...

Rise above politics for a moment:

What should be the next "big thing" we do as a nation? Define it any way you want but I'll give an example.

Hoover Dam for example. If you were to suggest building it today I think you'd get laughed out of the room. The Golden Gate Bridge? Any takers on that?

I think the next "big thing" should be transcontinental high speed rail myself. We could start tomorrow. Chicago to Denver in 90 minutes would be the first step

Twofold: Get out of debt, then, go and establish a year around inhabited base on Mars.

Robert

 

[Missourian]

Send a manned mission to Mars.

 

[occupied]

Those big imaginative projects are a thing of the past and we will not see their like again. We need so many energy, water and transportation upgrades but there is zero political will to promote them. We are doomed to watch while our infrastructure crumbles and people sit out of work because according to some of our leaders Americans no longer deserve to live in a modern country.

 

[The T]

I'm with Big Black Dog...get rid of the politicians in the District of Criminals that are standing in the way of the free thinkers and entrepeneurs in this nation that can make things happen without government interferenece.

 

[Mac1958]

I think clearing out all of the deadwood and no-goods out of Washington, DC would be a great place to start. Replace them all with some honest, forward-thinking people who are interested in doing what is best for the American people instead of their own political party or personal agendas.

While I'd freakin' love to see the above, I'll go another direction. I'd like to see races in the areas of science: Energy generation and medical technology.

Energy generation because the recent "green" fiasco has proven that we're just not there yet in terms of energy technology. The Obama administration has tried to force the issue by picking the winners and losers, and it's been a disaster. We need a race to create real, efficient, energy independence. Now.

Medical technology because Medicare is headed for a brick wall. We need to develop medical technology (using nanotechnology, for example) to both bring the cost of care down and improve effectiveness. Ten, fifteen, twenty years down the road, if we don't improve drastically in this area, we are screwed.

.

 

[bripat9643]

The next "big thing" should be nothing. We don't have money for huge boondoggles any longer. We should be cutting back on government, not growing it.

With deference to Grumps talking about no worthy debates...I'll try to start one to get the intellecutal juices flowing here...

Rise above politics for a moment:

What should be the next "big thing" we do as a nation? Define it any way you want but I'll give an example.

Hoover Dam for example. If you were to suggest building it today I think you'd get laughed out of the room. The Golden Gate Bridge? Any takers on that?

I think the next "big thing" should be transcontinental high speed rail myself. We could start tomorrow. Chicago to Denver in 90 minutes would be the first step

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

With deference to Grumps talking about no worthy debates...I'll try to start one to get the intellecutal juices flowing here...

Rise above politics for a moment:

What should be the next "big thing" we do as a nation? Define it any way you want but I'll give an example.

Hoover Dam for example. If you were to suggest building it today I think you'd get laughed out of the room. The Golden Gate Bridge? Any takers on that?

I think the next "big thing" should be transcontinental high speed rail myself. We could start tomorrow. Chicago to Denver in 90 minutes would be the first step

"IF" we could afford it I think a plan for a maned mission to mars would inspire not only national pride but also a new generation of children interested in science.

Politically I wish we could make all elections publicly financed. Balance the budget.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Mars missions and beyond.

 

[The T]

Mars missions and beyond.

With the private sector leading the charge...but the roadblock that is the swamp has to be drained in the District of Criminals first...

 

[Robodoon]

With deference to Grumps talking about no worthy debates...I'll try to start one to get the intellecutal juices flowing here...

Rise above politics for a moment:

What should be the next "big thing" we do as a nation? Define it any way you want but I'll give an example.

Hoover Dam for example. If you were to suggest building it today I think you'd get laughed out of the room. The Golden Gate Bridge? Any takers on that?

I think the next "big thing" should be transcontinental high speed rail myself. We could start tomorrow. Chicago to Denver in 90 minutes would be the first step

So you would support the Ideas of the UNITED NATIONS via UN AGENDA 21!

You globalist Sock

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

The next "big thing" should be nothing. We don't have money for huge boondoggles any longer. We should be cutting back on government, not growing it.

With deference to Grumps talking about no worthy debates...I'll try to start one to get the intellecutal juices flowing here...

Rise above politics for a moment:

What should be the next "big thing" we do as a nation? Define it any way you want but I'll give an example.

Hoover Dam for example. If you were to suggest building it today I think you'd get laughed out of the room. The Golden Gate Bridge? Any takers on that?

I think the next "big thing" should be transcontinental high speed rail myself. We could start tomorrow. Chicago to Denver in 90 minutes would be the first step

With due respect to your point it is entirely possible to do big things. The govt just needs to realize that their position is and should be that of a supporting role. If properly planned and executed there is money to be made on many of the big ideas.

 

[DontBeStupid]

I love the idea of a manned mission to Mars as well as high speed rail across the country. Personally, I lean toward alternative energy and would love to see us completely get rid of any fossil fuel use.

 

[The T]

Those big imaginative projects are a thing of the past and we will not see their like again. We need so many energy, water and transportation upgrades but there is zero political will to promote them. We are doomed to watch while our infrastructure crumbles and people sit out of work because according to some of our leaders Americans no longer deserve to live in a modern country.

Defeatest attitude. You know the answer...it's been in this thread and within the paghes of these boards for years.

The roadblock is government.

 

[FuelRod]

I was thinking about Chinese food for lunch.

No one ever asks "Hey what's the little idea?"

 

[candycorn]

Okay, private sector. Determine where it should be mining for new ideas. We know one thing...it'll be fueled by coal if it's your idea. LOL. Again, apologies for the CO2 thing. My bad.

The next "big thing" should be nothing. We don't have money for huge boondoggles any longer. We should be cutting back on government, not growing it.

With deference to Grumps talking about no worthy debates...I'll try to start one to get the intellecutal juices flowing here...

Rise above politics for a moment:

What should be the next "big thing" we do as a nation? Define it any way you want but I'll give an example.

Hoover Dam for example. If you were to suggest building it today I think you'd get laughed out of the room. The Golden Gate Bridge? Any takers on that?

I think the next "big thing" should be transcontinental high speed rail myself. We could start tomorrow. Chicago to Denver in 90 minutes would be the first step

 

[Decepticon]

The next "big thing" should be nothing. We don't have money for huge boondoggles any longer. We should be cutting back on government, not growing it.

With deference to Grumps talking about no worthy debates...I'll try to start one to get the intellecutal juices flowing here...

Rise above politics for a moment:

What should be the next "big thing" we do as a nation? Define it any way you want but I'll give an example.

Hoover Dam for example. If you were to suggest building it today I think you'd get laughed out of the room. The Golden Gate Bridge? Any takers on that?

I think the next "big thing" should be transcontinental high speed rail myself. We could start tomorrow. Chicago to Denver in 90 minutes would be the first step

With due respect to your point it is entirely possible to do big things. The govt just needs to realize that their position is and should be that of a supporting role. If properly planned and executed there is money to be made on many of the big ideas.

Yes, the government position is and should be that of a SUPPORTING ROLE.
Because that's how we won WW2, built the interstate system, went to the moon and developed the internet. Oh wait. It wasn't. It was BIG GOVERNMENT SPENDING that drove all those things!!!

I don't know how anyone can have a conversation with people who get such basic history fundamentally wrong. The private sector didn't send us to the moon or do ANY of those things I mentioned. GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND DIRECTION DID!

 

[candycorn]

The mars stuff is great...

However, the "problem" with the death of the space program originated in it's birth. We landed on the moon and that was the goal set fourth by JFK. Great. Did that. Sort of a self-defeating prophecy.

Interplanetary travel should be the goal I suppose, not "mars" per say.

How do we do it?

My plan would be to launch a bunch of unmanned docking stations first. Get them in high altitude orbits around earth and closer to Mars. If you think you need 8 of these way-stations to get to Mars, launch 16. Different types too, some for actual docking for the purpose of getting out of your space craft that have supplies, some that have supplies only. Some that do nothing but act as life boats in case there is a problem...such as stashing a body if you have an untimely death on the trip to Mars and beyond.

Anyway, launch these suckers. Then about 3-6 months before you launch the manned mission, launch your stores to the way-stations. These will travel much faster than the heavier manned vehicles.

The good news is that once you're out of the gravitational pulls of the planets, it becomes easier to move between stations so fuel isn't the big deal that it is here.

As we're doing Mars, launch others to set up even further out. The international space station puts us out there in space. Think of it as the first stepping stone to the next part, a little further out. Once we accomplish Mars, the infastructure is there to go beyond.

Funding? No one government can fund such a thing. I think that if you get private industry involved you can cut the costs. For example, the "naming rights" to the way stations and depot-pods. If, for example, Apple is willing to fund one of the pods, they can call it the "Apple" Pod. The branding would be tremendous for them. It would definitely be an unusual stand-out thing for their brand. Probably a bad example but it would require an effort of mankind, not the USA only.