I'm slightly torn on whether to agree with this or not.

Yeah, because of a stupid petition that got X amount of signatures.

I mean, the american government had to debate and research whether it was worth building a Death Star on the same kind of grounds, so...

The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:

The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it.
The Administration does not support blowing up planets.
Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?
However, look carefully (here's how) and you'll notice something already floating in the sky -- that's no Moon, it's a Space Station! Yes, we already have a giant, football field-sized International Space Station in orbit around the Earth that's helping us learn how humans can live and thrive in space for long durations. The Space Station has six astronauts -- American, Russian, and Canadian -- living in it right now, conducting research, learning how to live and work in space over long periods of time, routinely welcoming visiting spacecraft and repairing onboard garbage mashers, etc. We've also got two robot science labs -- one wielding a laser -- roving around Mars, looking at whether life ever existed on the Red Planet.

Keep in mind, space is no longer just government-only. Private American companies, through NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office (C3PO), are ferrying cargo -- and soon, crew -- to space for NASA, and are pursuing human missions to the Moon this decade.

Even though the United States doesn't have anything that can do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, we've got two spacecraft leaving the Solar System and we're building a probe that will fly to the exterior layers of the Sun. We are discovering hundreds of new planets in other star systems and building a much more powerful successor to the Hubble Space Telescope that will see back to the early days of the universe.

We don't have a Death Star, but we do have floating robot assistants on the Space Station, a President who knows his way around a light saber and advanced (marshmallow) cannon, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is supporting research on building Luke's arm, floating droids, and quadruped walkers.

We are living in the future! Enjoy it. Or better yet, help build it by pursuing a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field. The President has held the first-ever White House science fairs and Astronomy Night on the South Lawn because he knows these domains are critical to our country's future, and to ensuring the United States continues leading the world in doing big things.

If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us! Remember, the Death Star's power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force.

Paul Shawcross is Chief of the Science and Space Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget

No it didn't. All it did was give a humorous response, pointed out some of the scientific advances the US has made, and tried to promote interest in NASA.

I mean unless you consider doing simple math to get a rounded cost estimate to be "debate and research".

It's the most childish bloody petition in recent memory

The fact that the HoC has to waste their time debating an issue that should end with 'LOL' from the Government defies belief. Or it would do if this wasn't good old britun.

You know what would be a better use of everyone's time? Setting fire to Sir Chilcot's backside and making the bastard stop milking the inquiry for all it's worth. But no, we have to quibble over whether to ban the future president of the USA from the UK because some tumblrites got butthurt.

[teeth grinding]

Quote from: Mr. Psychologist on January 18, 2016, 01:25:50 PM

But no, we have to quibble over whether to ban the future president of the USA

Was that a Freudian or do you want to make America great again?

I want to see america restored to it's former glory

Only donald trump can deliver upon this

Quote from: Batch on January 18, 2016, 10:19:10 PM

Quote from: DAS THE HALLS on January 18, 2016, 05:08:04 PM

You know where this wouldn't happen?

China.

They probably would have assassinated him by now.

Trump loves China!

"I love the Chinese, they're a great people, and you know that they love me"