Journal: Space Exploration: What's Next?

So the news was just broken that after 2020, the International Space Station will be sunk into the Atlantic. With the retiring of the space shuttle and the, as of yet, failing private sector, it is pretty clear where the space program will end up if this trend continues. So what can, or at least should, be done to rectify this?

One idea could be that instead of focusing on an international project such as the ISS, we instead focus on an international organization dedicated to continuing human space exploration. As a species, it has been made abundantly clear that we need to continue looking beyond our atmosphere. However, given our current political climate both in the United States and internationally, it is equally clear that such a project would not be very feasible unless a few asses get kicked. What are your thoughts?