people have a tendancy to lump what the politians said with what the scientists actually accomplished.
Sure, JFK and the russian shoe-banger were competing, but once NASA got the go-ahead, they took it where no politian can imagine. They sent intelligent, scientists (or trained by geologist, at least) up into space to learn as much as possible. All the while realizing that the rug could be pulled out from under them at any time.
each astronaut took his mission as a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not His lifetime, but humanities' lifetime. Yes, yes, they were told to plant american flags on the moon. But that was not the most important mission goal.
Figuring out how to get there, getting there, conducting experiments, EXPERIENCING being there.... That was the mission.
And that was when one could really be proud to be human - and proud even to be American. Something that isn't possible now.
We have been lucky enough to reap technological rewards from those efforts for decades, but with anti-logical and anti-science morons this will soon end. The future does not look good with people who have no respect for thinking, education and science.
