"We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon... We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too"
Translation: "We chose to go to the Moon, not because it was easy, and not because it was hard, but because it was exactly hard enough to be within our grasp, but not in the Soviets' grasp. Once we get there and plant the flag, we are all set. No need to bother going there again for 50 years or so".
This is how society and civilization crumbles and falls. This kind of thinking is noxious and insidious.
Big projects have a smaller chance of success than small projects.