1962 Moon Project in Brexit Terms.

Venue: Oval Office, Washington DC

“You wanna do what? Go to the moon? You told the public and a TV audience that we’re going to the moon!”

“Yup, I did. That’s exactly what I said.”

“You must be outta your mind.” Laughs. “So, how we gonna do that then?”

“I don’t know, yet.”

Disdainful look. “You don’t know?”

“That’s right... yet. All I know is it can be done. You have to have ambition and a positive outlook.”

“Optimism and hope, then? You don’t even know what your programme looks like, yet you insist it can be done.” Raised eyebrow.

“Yup, but optimism and hope breeds action and determination and that way things get done.”

“Okay, so how you gonna finance it? No sponsors are gonna go for such a crazy shit idea. Businesses will be scared they’ll lose money if they back such a hare-brained scheme. They like what they know. They ain’t gonna back you. They won’t make deals with you.”

“Then we’ll finance it ourselves... without their goddam deals.”

Laughs and more eyebrow raising. “That’s crazy. No deals? It’ll cost billions! You risk our economic stability, loss of jobs... freakin' Armageddon!”

“What you’re not seeing is the big picture. You’re like the rest. You can’t see past tomorrow. You worry too much about yourself and the here and now. You have no vision. Think about the future benefits of discovery, new ideas, new inventions, new technology, new partners. Once people see these benefits. I predict that in fifty years time we’ll have technology as a result of this moon project that sc-fi writers couldn’t even make up.”

Frowns. “You think? Anyway, even if it was possible, it’s too dangerous. Lives could be lost, what if the whole thing crashes out... literally?”

“Crashes out? What’s the matter with you? All your negative crap. You don’t wanna do this? You don’t wanna discover new worlds?”

“Listen, there’s nothing wrong with what we got. We’ve had it a long time. Why go risking everything?”

“Okay, so you wanna remain where you are, yeah? That right?”

“It’s safe, it’s what we know. Why change things? Why get involved in something that hard?”

Smiles. “I’ll tell you why. Because remaining where you are means you stay in one place; people get used to just being there, they get complacent and then they get taken advantage of. Before they know it, things get changed so even though they got used to what they have, one day it’s changed, subtly, but changed none the less and you, the sucka, haven’t even noticed that it wasn’t what you started out with. So you either get ahead of that and drive your own ambition or forever suck up to somebody else. And as for safe, try telling that to Columbus, Magellan, Pasteur, Edison... they weren’t goddam staying in one place just 'cos it's easier. We do things, not because they’re easy, but because they are hard.” Turns away. Then... “One other thing, buddy. I’m sick to the back teeth of politicians like you who spout negative, unambitious drivel about how things are gonna be tough, how disastrous the future will be, how we are heading into a black hole. You know what? That’s the easy option, being a naysayer, telling us how tough things are. The hard option is doing something about it. Now take your lily livered, spineless ass out of my fucking office. We’re going to the moon.”