[manned moon base] how would you use your $104 billion

First the article:

NASA announced plans last Monday to send a four-man team to the moon in 2020 with hopes of establishing a permanently-manned base by 2024. Russia's state-owned RKK Energiya has proposed its own moon program, but so far hasn't garnered any support from the country's government. RKA now wishes to join NASA.

Spokesman Igor Panarin told AP: "We want the agreement to reflect Russia's status as a great space power," adding that Russia will contribute technology rather than money to the project. Panarin envisions a relationship much like the one RKA shares with the European Space Agency. Starting in 2008, RKA will launch commercial satellites from France's Kourou launch facility on the eastern coast of French Guyana, using Soyuz rockets, providing boost capability while the ESA maintains the facilities.

NASA remains coy about a figure for a permanent moon base's total cost, but it has said the first mission will likely top $104 billion. With those kinds of costs involved, Panarin's idea of using RKA's Soyuz rockets might be a better idea than developing new booster technology from scratch as is planned.

FMI: www.nasa.gov, www.federalspace.ru

Now the question: $104 billion! If you had your hands on that amount as a single purpose project[as a government, not as a private individual and maybe kindly donated by the 4th player], how would you deploy it? Would you fund:

1] a programme for eradicating poverty from your country once and for all through some training/employment scheme;

2] the massive build up of a nuclear military presence then go out and colonize, thereby preserving your national culture in perpetuity;

3] building – artificial lakes, monuments, huge complexes, shopping malls and some housing;

4] the space programme as stated because ‘man must’;

5] invest it?

Maybe some other project?