[angersock]

I think you may have misread:

  we've come much closer to blowing ourselves up then we ever 
  have to space colonies

This isn't to say that (currently) we are at the edge of nuclear war, but rather that we've at some time between then and now been much better prepared for war than colonization.

Considering the vast number of ICBMs and nuclear devices prepared by the US and USSR during that time period, compared to the number of colony ships and slowboats that made it into production, I think that's a fair point.

[iwejfweoifjweif]

Good point, I did miss that.