Mars or a border wall?

[Major-Tom]

Send Trump to Mars?

No! Never. The hell we're gonna let Trump be the man every history book in the future will talk about when going over one of humanity's greatest milestones.

I'm implying something very very different, you understand.

[Dooom35796821595]

No! Never. The hell we're gonna let Trump be the man every history book in the future will talk about when going over one of humanity's greatest milestones.

I'm implying something very very different, you understand.

In a tragic turn of events, the rocket that would have sent president elect Donald Trump to mars exploded 23 seconds after take-off. In related news NASA suspects foul play, and the secret service are investigating Mike Pence as the primary suspect.

[Cetacea]

Bloody Earthlings always trying to steal our jobs

[The Emerald Legion]

Mars. Though without the terraforming nonsense.

[Eisen Wolf Reich]

Build the border wall, send the kerbals to mars instead.

[Purpelia]

For the arms race in walls, I'm pretty sure eastern Europe has beaten us to border walls. :'(

But you are MURCA! You can make a wall and you can make it bigger, better, stronger.

Also, the lack of a magnetosphere is definitely an issue though not an insurmountable one for any human habitation or terraforming operation. The fact that the entirety of Martian soil is filled with toxic levels of perchlorates is an issue though. As one of NASA's Mars experts said to me, "it doesn't matter how much poop you use to fertilize the soil, the soil is still toxic."

It's pretty much insurmountable. Remember, we are not just talking about walking around in a suit for a couple hours a day. You need to have cities where people can live, commute and generally function without protective clothing. And there just is no reasonable way to house a meaningfully large population and shield them from radiation 24/7 without basically putting the whole thing underground in a bunker. So the project fails even before we get to the toxic soil because you can't get out into the sunlight to farm it.

Unless you really, really want to build a dark dwarf dystopia. But than you can just bury the whole thing and use hydroponic to make everyone live off algae and mushrooms or something.

[Albrenia]

Mars obviously. Furthering the human condition and our understanding of the universe beats the hell out of building a big wall people will just find a way to bypass.

[Catanovam]

Mars, because that can benefit everyone, whilst the way only complicates relations.

[Dooom35796821595]

For the arms race in walls, I'm pretty sure eastern Europe has beaten us to border walls. :'(

But you are MURCA! You can make a wall and you can make it bigger, better, stronger.

Also, the lack of a magnetosphere is definitely an issue though not an insurmountable one for any human habitation or terraforming operation. The fact that the entirety of Martian soil is filled with toxic levels of perchlorates is an issue though. As one of NASA's Mars experts said to me, "it doesn't matter how much poop you use to fertilize the soil, the soil is still toxic."

It's pretty much insurmountable. Remember, we are not just talking about walking around in a suit for a couple hours a day. You need to have cities where people can live, commute and generally function without protective clothing. And there just is no reasonable way to house a meaningfully large population and shield them from radiation 24/7 without basically putting the whole thing underground in a bunker. So the project fails even before we get to the toxic soil because you can't get out into the sunlight to farm it.

Add artificial magnetosphere and soil detoxifier to the list of things Elon musk has to build.

[Purpelia]

Add artificial magnetosphere and soil detoxifier to the list of things Elon musk has to build.

At this point I feel that it would be preferable and possibly cheaper to literally just blow the planet up and use the pieces to build space habitats.

[The Emerald Legion]

Mars obviously. Furthering the human condition and our understanding of the universe beats the hell out of building a big wall people will just find a way to bypass.

They can only bypass the wall if they're alive. Clearly the next step is to purge everything south of the wall in atomic fire. Why else would Trump want to have ten times our current nuclear arsenal? [/sarcasm]

[Dooom35796821595]

Add artificial magnetosphere and soil detoxifier to the list of things Elon musk has to build.

At this point I feel that it would be preferable and possibly cheaper to literally just blow the planet up and use the pieces to build space habitats.

https://phys.org/news/2017-03-nasa-magn ... phere.html

Maybe not. And I don't think anyone should have the power to blow up planets, especially not the POTUS.

[Definitely not Helghan]

Mars, then conquer Mexico

[Ethel mermania]

Scrap both projects and a tax cut for everybody.

[Oil exporting People]

If you had to choose which one the US should do which would it be? Mars Direct or a Border wall with Mexico? Both have a similar price tag ($30b - $50b and $20b - $70b) and for the sake of the discussion assume they are both feasable. Also assume neither isn't an option.

The Border Wall leads to Mars, so Border Wall.

[Internationalist Bastard]

Mars, you know, something that would advance humanity instead of a huge waste of money

[The Emerald Legion]

Scrap both projects and a tax cut for everybody.

What's the point in having money if you don't use it?

[Luziyca]

Mars, although as a Canadian, I wouldn't mind building a border wall with the USA together with Mexico, and then the rest of the world can chip in and put a lip atop the USA.

But Mars is frankly, more feasible and will lead to a lot of more scientific discoveries, while a wall is just that: a fucking wall. At least the Atlantropa project had some use.

[Ethel mermania]

Scrap both projects and a tax cut for everybody.

What's the point in having money if you don't use it?

A cocaine habit is a better use of the money than either option given.

[Internationalist Bastard]

What's the point in having money if you don't use it?

A cocaine habit is a better use of the money than either option given.

I feel like cocaine wouldn't lead to many scietific discoveries, but maybe if we get hopped up enough we can accomplish everything while blasting EDM

[Pasong Tirad]

Build a border wall around Mars and make Earth pay for it.

When Earthlings come to Mars, they're sending their best. They're bringing their space ships, their technology. They're scientists.

[The Emerald Legion]

What's the point in having money if you don't use it?

A cocaine habit is a better use of the money than either option given.

How so?

[HYDRA-Russian Empire]

Despite supporting a clampdown on illegal immigration, I feel that the border wall would be a waste of money for a number of reasons. However, exploring space is important for humanity's survival, so I support Mars, and beyond!

[Ethel mermania]

A cocaine habit is a better use of the money than either option given.

How so?

It's a lot more fun,
employs many people, up and down the production chain. Starving Bolivian farmers deserve love too.
Gives law enforcement something to do.

[Dooom35796821595]

How so?

It's a lot more fun,
employs many people, up and down the production chain. Starving Bolivian farmers deserve love too.
Gives law enforcement something to do.

Or, legalise and tax cocaine, decrease police budgets due to the reduced crime rates and you have money for science! Cocaine and science, what could go wrong!