I personally want to be believe that NASA succeeded in placing human beings on the Moon, and then was successful in returning them safely back to Earth, but the cynical side of my mind casts so much doubt on that belief.

First of all great topic. I agree with your opinion. To be honest with you I’m even more sceptical than I was before when Trump said recently they will put an extra budget to send a man back to the moon. Comparing today’s technology with technology decades and decades ago, why wouldn’t they go back to lend on the moon already between then and today? Why do they need an extra budget? I saw many interviews with the cosmonauts who “apparently landed on the moon” and there was so many red flags. I remember one of them wasn’t sure what to say when asked “how did they get through Van Allen radiation belt?”.... At the end do we get to know the truth? There will always be sceptical people like me and people who believe whatever government says regardless what the truth is.