comment: >
  
  I feel like this is fear mongering. realistically, what could they even do beyond putting some science labs on the moon? Any weapons they could use on the moon would be far more practical on Earth.
  The reason the US hasnt already put anything on the moon is because there really isnt any practical purpose beyond scientific research, and the logisitics of transporting supplies to the moon are kind of insane.
context: China had no meaningful capacity to claim territory in 1967.
  The only two countries that really could do such a thing were the Soviet Union and the United States. Things have changed. We shall see how faithful China is to nearly seventy year old treaties in due time. >
  
  They sure seem to like their old maps with dashed lines, when it suits them. >
  
  Can we not claim our natural satellite as some nation's property? Is it too much to ask? Am I crazy? >
  
  Nah. Everything must be owned and commodified. >
  
  I bet it ends up like Antarctica how it's a wierd conglomeration of countries that have various treaties with each other since it's such a harsh environment >
  
  The moon is a harsh mistress. >
  
  Heinlein lives! >
  
  " GROK" >
  
  Yeah, that's a word in a Heinlein novel all right. >
  
  Sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. All other sins are invented nonsense. >
  
  They’d better let us continue to use it. Not having a moon would mess up my sleep. >
  
  They’re gonna put a black sheet over it during U.S. nighttime so we can’t even look at it anymore. >
  
  My favourite comments section in years >
  
  Thought an American man has already walked on the moon? >
  
  Not only walked, but have also driven. >
  
  And golfed. >
  
  And planted a flag >
  
  And pooped. The only thing left is to take a six-pack up to drink. >
  
  But they forgot to pee on it. And everyone with a dog knows that is how you claim territory. >
  
  They did pee on it. It just didn't hit the ground. >
  
  Pee was dumped outside in a jettison bag and a plastic container IIRC. It may have subsequently leaked into the regolith. >
  
  So we still ended up claiming it. Gee, way too much drama in this comment chain >
  
  US didn't claim the moon. There is no claim on the moon currently. I wouldn't have a problem with somebody building a base and claiming a smallish area around it. >
  
  r/conspiracy is going to have a field day with this one >
  
  My uncle’s neighbor has a cousin who said he was married to the ex-wife of a guy who worked on the film set that staged the lunar landing. >
  
  Bob. Bob is his name. He was the key grip. My grandmother dated a boy in high school and Bob was his stepdad's nephew. >
  
  Did the step dad also work for Nintendo? >
  
  No he was the bus driver. >
  
  Anybody can claim the Moon. The real battle is enforcing it >
  
  Moon war!! >
  
  This is how you end up with Moon Bears. >
  
  Are these lunar bears or earth bears? >
  
  Call me crazy, but I don’t think that’s how the moon works. >
  
  But it is how China works >
  
  The famously imperialistic Chinese. >
  
  In the context of America colonizing Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, Wake island, Midway, The Philippines, and garrisoning substantial numbers to troops in South Korea, and Japan— yeah it’s kinda fucked to call ANY country on land grabbing. 
  I won’t even get into the coups America has bankrolled or given approval to. 
  You can say “hey, that’s geopolitics, and America is better because it’s more free” and I’d say you’re entitled to your opinion. >
  
  China invaded Vietnam many many times and in the past burned their books and clothes and culture. Forced them to change dress and language and forcibly controlled their society. Then when they were both communist and Vietnam fought the USA China invaded them immediately after.
  Pointing out the US's past behaviour doesn't change China's past behaviour. >
  
  Maybe someday we’ll find a country that’s never done anything bad, until then it’s cool when America drone strikes civilians in theaters it’s citizens doesn’t even know it’s active in. >
  
  Lmao no one here approves of US drone strikes. But China has a long and violent history of imperialism. Huge swathes of China have been and have tried to be independent for hundreds if not over a thousand years. They've invaded all their neighbors from Korea to Myanmar. They currently have like 27 open border disputes logged at the UN out of 47 on the world. 
  They claim land and sea from all their neighbors but a couple. 
  US misdeeds do not make China a non imperialistic country historically or now.
  Japan also imperialistic history, doesn't affect the US or China. Turkey through the ottomans imperialist history. Doesn't affect anyone else. Stop deflecting. >
  
  Sounds like NASA chief is scare mongering so he can get a percentage of that sweet sweet defence budget. >
  
  Wait, moon wasn’t colonized by British Empire yet? >
  
  Well, technically since the United States was a british colony at one point and we were the first people to land on the moon, then yes, the British empire by association has colonized the moon. >
  
  I think you might want to look up the definition of "colonization".
  Exploration and colonization aren't the same thing. >
  
  Britain: aren't these the same thing? >
  
  Just taking our time. Not enough local instability for us to hand it over to some convenient despot yet. 
  Although...