Thursday, July 23, 2015

Space Exploration Is Important, So Stop Whining About Space Spending

My response to anyone who complains about money spent on space exploration, says we should be feeding the poor or providing health care with that money:

Why is it when someone spends $100M on a movie no one will care about a year from now, no one complains. Or when someone spends $100M on a military aircraft that will be immediately mothballed, no one complains? Or when the Atlanta Falcons build a 1 Billion Dollar Stadium (that's ten times $100M) no one bats an eye. For a sports stadium. But spend any money on space and suddenly everyone complains and wants to feed the poor and save the world.

My question is, where do people imagine this money is being spent? Do they think it's being hurled into the sun by a giant catapult? No. The money is spent on materials and equipment that have to be made, assembled and transported, by engineers, scientists and laborers, all of whom GET PAID to do those jobs, and every piece of equipment is bought from a company, who PAYS TAXES and contributes to the economy. Money spent ON space is spent ON Earth, creating jobs and industries here on Earth that provide jobs (which fights poverty) and create advancements (like the mammogram machines that save so many women from breast cancer, remember to thank NASA and the Hubble Telescope Program for that) but most of all that inspire and educate and make people think, get people excited. Be glad these rich people and corporations are finally doing something with their money instead of just leaving it sitting in hedge funds where it helps no one.

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