<i>quite frankly a cynical bread-and-circus idea</i><p>That may well be the truth. But at least it's a circus founded on science and engineering.<p>The Chinese will be on the moon in a decade minimum, two maximum. When you're sitting at home with the rest of the world watching a large chinese flag being placed on the moon in hi-def colour, what thoughts do you think will be going through your head? I bet it's not "boy, I'm glad we didn't waste that $8 billion back in the day!".