comment: >
  
  This headline feels like straight out of that SouthPark episode... "Terrorists have attacked our imagination, and now our imaginations are running wild!!!"
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... >
  
  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. >
  
  Can't we just say dibs from 1969? >
  
  Nah, that’s like saying you already called shotgun last week. Doesn’t count. >
  
  That’s one way to ask for funding >
  
  We been there. Why can’t we just claim it? >
  
  Already did, planted the flag and everything, then he went to Pluto and punched an alien, there was a whole ad depicting it and everything. >
  
  No, we did not claim anything.  We could have tried to make some claim, but we explicitly came "for all mankind". >
  
  C'mon, be cool nerd, it was a joke >
  
  Sir, this is reddit.  We do not joke. >
  
  monkey killing monkey over pieces of the ground... >
  
  That’s total BS. No one country would ever be able to lay claim to it. Period. >
  
  They can claim what they like, but what really matters is what they can control.  
  Like with the Taiwan Strait, through which US warships regularly sail to demonstrate China's lack of control. >
  
  China: this is our territory!! 
  America: and? >
  
  Just as countries like Russia will be fighting tooth and nail to claim the Northern Pole and all of its unseen resources underneath in the next 50 years as that region melts away with climate change. May I be wrong, but do we have a lot of interesting future conflicts with the likes of Russia, China, Middle East, and DPRK in store for us… >
  
  But..... >
  
  Somebody is trying to scare everyone to get funding. >
  
  Oh so NASA needs more money. Got it. >
  
  China’s gunna claim the moon! = I don’t get to do my pet projects anymore. Please send cash >
  
  All your base belong to us! >
  
  Didn’t we already claim it when we were there? >
  
  Outer Space Treaty 
  
  The Outer Space Treaty, formally the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, is a multilateral treaty that forms the basis of international space law. Negotiated and drafted under the auspices of the United Nations, it was opened for signature in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union on 27 January 1967, entering into force on 10 October 1967. As of February 2022, 112 countries are parties to the treaty—including all major spacefaring nations—and another 23 are signatories.
  
  ^([ )^(F.A.Q)^( | )^(Opt Out)^( | )^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)^( | )^(GitHub)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5) >
  
  Because China is totally gonna respect that. >
  
  They did become a Party to the Treaty in 1984, so... You're probably right, they'll ignore it completely if it comes to it. >
  
  Did this MF call the moon landing fake?? >
  
  No. He just said that China likely has no intent of honoring the Outer Space Treaty that declared the moon as akin to international waters. >
  
  This is the dumbest article headline ever.  Wtf. >
  
  NASA propaganda, not based on reality just based on scaremongering to get more funding. >
  
  No one country even has the ability to claim Antarctica for their own. Anyone who believes any country could claim and enforce ownership of the moon is kidding themselves. >
  
  I thought we already went to the moon wtf is he talking about👀👀👀👀 >
  
  yeah, people can claim whatever they want, but can they defend it... ? >
  
  Are we skipping over the part where the US has already been to the moon?  I think there's even a US flag already there too. >
  
  I think he is trying to create a false sense of urgency to procure more funding for NASA.... >
  
  In other words, nasa would like more funding >
  
  This man knows how to get funding >
  
  Nice clickbait! He didn’t say they would claim the entire moon, he claimed they may attempt to cordon off the most resource rich areas of the moon. >
  
  NASA chief's main job is fundraising. They'll say anything they think might get the public onboard with budget increases. 
  Oh no! China's going to steal the Moon!
  OMG, this chunk of space rock looks like it contains microscopic signs of life! 
  Oh oh, the giant asteroids are coming! 
  Oh wow, we're going to colonize Mars any day!
  It's all bullshit, spewed purely for marketing purposes. >
  
  Not if we stop buying IPhones. >
  
  Where are android phones made? >
  
  I wanna say South Korea? >
  
  Yeah, Samsung. >
  
  Samsung phones are manufactured in Veitnam. >
  
  How I read this headline
  NASA chief __________________________________________________ wants tax payers to pump more dollars >
  
  This is exactly right. But imo NASA getting a greater proportion of tax dollars is a lot better than most of the alternatives. >
  
  Maybe we should just blow it up.. Fuck You Moon Boom!! >
  
  And you China, and your “New Year” too! >
  
  NASA chief fear mongers over China in a bid to get more funding. >
  
  That's reading between the headlines right there >
  
  I don't really get it. How does the US arriving before China on the moon change anything. Its not like the US can enforce a claim to literally the entire moon so that the Chinese can't. 
  Another dumb funding ploy as always. >
  
  The fear is they will identify and claim the most useful regions with infrastructure. >
  
  Humans are so stupid....find a new place, MINE, ITS MINE. 
  If we could just figure out how to co operate, we would all have space ships >
  
  Alternatively, if we all just naturally cooperated, we would have  idyllic agrarian societies.
  Very few of the great advances in human history don't have some root in conflict, be it that of war or of wanting to one up some other party. >
  
  His entire logic is that they claim land on Earth, so they could do that in space. This is a nothing story. >
  
  I like the show for all mankind too >
  
  Sorry - the Duchy of Gran Fenwick is already there doing a breakfast fry up >
  
  I thought there were treaties in place that say you can't claim it. No country can. >
  
  Only 18 countries ratified it. Other nations, including China and Russia, are not signatories to the agreement. That said, it's still a stretch, China claiming it its entirety. >
  
  Wait... I've see this one before! >
  
  He said territory on the moon, not the whole fucking moon like this clickbait says. >
  
  Just because something is claimed doesn't mean it belongs to those who claimed it. Useless to claim when nobody will recognize it. >
  
  We definitely beat them there… what a stupid article >
  
  WAR IN SPAAAAAACE!!! >
  
  Except the USA already beat them there >
  
  The moon is for all countries who mamage to reach it and survive lol >
  
  And do what with it ? >
  
  Firstly, military and strategic goals. You could have an ideal base to target the satellites of other countries, interfere with space programs of other countries,... Secondly, resources: there is titanium to be found on the moon, together with other (rare) minerals >
  
  To claim and hold a territory, you have to have a presence there. Maintaining a constant presence on the moon would, at present, be about the most expensive and pointless way to waste the wealth of a country. >
  
  Putting a flag on something doesn't mean you own it. It takes development, defense, etc. 
  Who gets there first will win. I just wish we weren't starving ourt government of the people in order to do nothing more than make rich people more wealthy. It's why we have a hard time doing anything great any more... >
  
  Pretty sure all the countries signed an accord saying no country can claim the moon. >
  
  The US hates this one simple trick. >
  
  Well the US was already there so why don’t they just claim it? Or is the NASA chief just lying >
  
  The latter. >
  
  We pooped there too...From what I understand there areabout 96 bags of poop on the moon as well that are American. >
  
  Starting to look like we never made it to the moon… >
  
  This sounds like the NASA chief is trying to secure more funding by using the "China does something" card >
  
  It finally makes sense.  Fake moon landing conspiracy theory was created by China. >
  
  Without reading the article there are treaties dealing with no economic cash grabs on the moon.
  China only likes treaties that gives China exactly what it wants. 
  So if China thinks it can grab and keep the moon while turning a profit, China will try to grab the moon. >
  
  Ummm. Our flag is ALREADY there for 50 years! >
  
  Good luck enforcing that, China. >
  
  China is simultaneously just about to collapse and at the same time the biggest, baddest, strongest enemy the u.s will ever face according to Reddit >
  
  Actually we should deed the moon to China then hold them liable for and start suing them for tidal flooding. And we can claim Mars and send Bezos and Musk and Trump there as a peace offering to the Gods. Ohm. 🙏 >
  
  Hey Chief, the Apollo program already planted our flag there. Several times >
  
  *West Taiwan >
  
  The Netflix documentary "Space Force" covered this issue in great detail. >
  
  Not if Sealand gets there first! >
  
  "give us more money and other resources please. Because China" >
  
  Who the genuine fuck cares >
  
  checks watch I mean...china's a little late >
  
  And our Government Stooges keep harping that “Russia is the real danger”. - F’ing idiots every one of them big distraction >
  
  Having a Chinese Takeaway on the moon is not a bad idea. We could use as a pit stop before setting off for Mars. What is all the fuss about? >
  
  Man responsible for securing tax funding for US space research says best-funded current non-ally nation has vague, secret plan to take over moon despite previous events and existing treaties. >
  
  That’s a hell of an extrapolation he’s made if, as per the article, his reasoning is based on China allegedly constructing military bases on disputed islands.
  Like, I’m not disputing that China would very much like to claim the moon, just like they’d very much like to claim Taiwan or the islands mentioned in the article, and I don’t think the Chinese government is above doing so through underhanded means- but unless they’re hiding some super secret instantly constructible, infinitely sustainable moon base the notion that they’d get to the moon first and just… lay claim, with all the geopolitical baggage that would bring, is… kind of what I’d expect from a nasa chief, actually. His view of the world is understandably space-centered. >
  
  Beats the US to the Lunar surface? Weren't we on the moon in the 70s? Is there not an American flag up there? You're gonna show up 50 years later to the party and claim you own it? Fuck outta here. >
  
  umm didnt we already do that when we stuck a flag in it? >
  
  Has China actually made any indication that they intend to do this? >
  
  If China "claimed" it, all that would do is force the US to send some more people to the moon just to prove their claim to be bupkis, as we have done for all of china's BS claims. We put over a dozen men on the moon, starting 50 fucking years ago, and would gladly do it again >
  
  Bullshit like this is the reason we have war >
  
  They can only claim what they occupy and can defend.
  So NASA and the Space Force have their jobs cut out for themselves. >
  
  both the united states and china are party to the outer space treaty which expressly forbids laying claim to the moon. but as the US has famously said on multiple occasions: “what if I just ignored international law” >
  
  No they can’t - nor can the Americans either. >
  
  Imagine going to war over the moon >
  
  if humanity worked together instead of being divided by nations we would have made the moon our secondary home decades ago