For me, the most ironic token of [the first human moon landing] is the plaque signed by President Richard M. Nixon that Apollo 11 took to the moon. It reads, ‘We came in peace for all Mankind.’ As the United States was dropping seven and a half megatons of conventional explosives on small nations in Southeast Asia, we congratulated ourselves on our humanity. We would harm no one on a lifeless rock. . Carl Sagan
About This Quote

The first human moon landing was an amazing achievement. It brought great glory to the United States for its people and it gave the world hope that the United States would continue to be a leader in technology and science. It is ironic that Nixon used this moment to justify the bombing of Vietnam while he had given the order to destroy the moon landing. The plaque Nixon signed on July 20, 1969, states, “We came in peace for all Mankind.” However, Nixon was using this little piece of space history to justify his own actions on earth.

He claimed that the moon landing showed how good America was at science and technology. In a way, he was right. But in another way, he was so wrong.

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