Once upon a time a young prince named JFK proposed a voyage to the moon. No one knew how we would get there. Throughout the voyage we endured a money- and life-draining foreign war, a faltering economy, constant saber-rattling with Russia, and the assassination of three of our most inspiring leaders. With the exception of the latter, we’re in the same boat now as we were in the 1960′s.

So there we were- broke, bleeding, and bound for the moon. Because of our ability to focus on a unified vision, we somehow survived. We shot, landed, and brought back souvenirs from the moon like Velcro, advanced food preservation, advanced electronics, a new understanding of of our universe, microwave ovens, and mylar. Oh, and some rocks.

We created hundreds of thousands of American jobs and created new industries. We invented technologies that spread to the rest of the world. These jobs and technologies didn’t necessarily put men on the moon either, they made models. They assembled lunch boxes and action figures. They marketed the image of the astronaut as a rock star comparable to the Beatles (who also broke up during this period).

We have a bright future ahead of us. It may not be a voyage to the moon, but as Barack Obama has suggested, it may be a voyage to energy independence. Imagine the jobs, technologies, and prestige we can build with American hands if we commit ourselves to clean power.