The United States may be “of America” but that hasn’t stopped us from owning/claiming territories in Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean, Central America, etc. Whether talking about the Louisiana Purchase, Mexican American war, Spanish American War, or even the Trail of Tears, America has always sought to manifest its destiny by gobbling up everything from Puerto Rico to Alaska to any island covered in bird poop (so long as it is not under the current jurisdiction of another government.) While uninhabited islands and barren tundras are nice, we as a nation can do much better. As the first and only country to send a man to the Moon and stick our flag in it, the U.S. is in a unique position to simply lay claim over the entire celestial body. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Article II of the Outer Space Treaty states ‘Outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.‘ according to https://www.state.gov/t/isn/5181.htm,” or at least something along those lines.
To that, I say “so what?” As the sole global superpower, America is faced with the unparalleled possibility to do whatever it wants anyway. In fact, not only should the Moon officially become part of our great and powerful nation, it should become the 51st state in the Union. Just imagine how glorious our flag would look with the moon on it. At the same time, it would prompt other countries like Turkey to remove the moon from their flag or risk an annexation of their own. In conclusion, the United States possesses not only the ability, but the right and duty to swallow the Earth’s Moon into its glorious union in the name of freedom, justice, and Manifest Destiny.