Agreed that we really need to knock a couple of more digits of cost-to-orbit before we can make any kind of informed decision one way or another. Also agreed th

Agreed that we really need to knock a couple of more digits of cost-to-orbit before we can make any kind of informed decision one way or another. Also agreed that it's not looking good so far. Mass drivers could send cargo into orbit cheaply -- perhaps given the right cargo/human ratio, you'd end up with a drastic decrease in cost overall, especially with reusable rockets. Right now there's just no there there. Most of the great arguments for getting off the planet are 1) Science! and 2) We need to get the heck out of Dodge before we kill ourselves. These are very good reasons, but it's like pushing a rope -- you'll never make space exploration happen by lecturing people and taxing them for it. Instead put some greed into the mix. If you find a big enough pull, then you'll see the dynamics radically change. Space needs an 1849 Gold Rush.