FEMA camps are a crazy conspiracy theory, though.

[caladri]

I finally understand why the United States is so gung-ho about doing whatever the RIAA and MPAA ask. It suddenly made sense when I saw a headline saying that James Cameron, having gone to the deepest depths, is now going to set himself up mining asteroids

Comments

[randomdreams]

I'm partial to an omnipresent web of bribery and corruption, myself, but I do like your theory.

[photonsrain]

Personally, I'm looking forward to the rare-Earth element industry in China imploding as a result of our mining our first asteroid.

The only way to seriously fund planetary exploration is with budgets on the scale of Hollywood's, and at the end of the day, I'm glad we're returning to space.

[arisrabkin]

This is an absolutely fabulous premise and if you turned it into a novella, I would buy a copy.