Leading Questions

As an self-confessed Zealous Zubrin-ite, I believe privatization of space exploration to be necessary if the venture is to continue in the current geopolito-economic environment. Since the risks can never be completely mitigated, the question becomes what type of organization is best able to handle the risks. Exploration requires long-term vision and perseverence, qualities men like Bezos of Blue Origins and other dot-bomb survivors have proven they have in spades, and which governments driven by public opinion and overlapping election cycles will never have. Generally speaking, the risks associated with any exploratory venture are better shouldered by commercial organizations than governments. (I'd also note that there is a vital distinction to be drawn between commercial space exploration and space tourism, although it's possible that the latter might eventually be harnassed to fund the former.)

Interestingly enough, Wired has a story on this topic today here. Add to the list of "Internet wunderkind" who have set their sights on space exploration Elon Musk (of PayPal) who after selling to eBay founded SpaceX (story here, also at Wired).