Artemis IV and beyond speak of permanence: a Gateway, a space station circling the Moon, a Starbucks, maybe. And yet the same cheque book that funds the dream of humanity living among the stars is underwriting the deliberate unravelling of humanity on Earth. The Moon, he suggested, was being used as a mirror for national power rather than a window for human humility. That the Moon is about “all mankind,” while Gaza and Palestine is a deeply complex “problem” requiring diplomatic dexterity. Perhaps that is the real dichotomy of 2026: not Earth versus space, but aspiration versus empathy.

Source: Irish Examiner December 27, 2025 01:00 UTC