One day man will walk on Mars but that day could be centuries away. Why? Because such an adventure will not get off the ground while we live in a material wealth age (Money make the world go around). Unless any business can make money from a project with in a projected time it will be abandoned! Electric Cars were around 100 years ago but were abandoned for a quicker money making venture, Oil. But now someone has found a way to make you pay money to have and keep one, now all manufactures are in (It actually has very little to do with going Green)!
Historically 60% to 70% of technical advancement was from and because of Military gain from an aggressor who saw a benefit of having that advantage (Not necessarily that they honed it and used it, but they pushed everyone else to scramble for it as well. Hanabel, Hitler, Khan Napoleon just to name a few).
So unless Little Kim somehow invents an actual spaceship with weapons capability and builds a base on the Moon, we will not see space travel break from our high altitude orbit (U.S. v Ruskies 60's-70's style).
I agree with you, politics and other forms of bureaucracy acts as an inhibitor to the growth of science and technology. There is need for a level playing field if the world wants to arrive at the level of civilization it dreams of
Agreed.