what we really need to go into space

> That is spelled Brunel

what, you mean he wasn't French???
;)

> Where is the profit motive for space "colonialism" ? Of course most
> of you know my own opinions on that subject :-)

Everything man does is motivated by profit of some sort, but that is just
oversimplifying things... take Japan for instance, with very little space
left for expansion and no chance to wage a conquest war on his neighbours it
could decide to build a colony in space, as soon as they start all other
economical powers will be compelled to compete not to leave them all the
best bits of the new frontier, there you go, that's still profit driven...
of course it would make much more sense for them to colonise the ocean, but
that was just a silly example... :)

Cheers,

Claudio