President Bush, Space Exploration and the Need to Feed

The recent announcement by President Bush regarding the intent to send people to the Moon and then Mars was very intriguing to me. I am hopeful and skeptical at the same time. Anyone else feel that way?

First off, I think the idea of exploring space is a good one. In theory it expands our knowledge of things and might prove useful. It is also good to have a goal that is not too self serving. Here's where I run into problems with the whole thing.

I have heard it mentioned that the permanent colony on the Moon might be a military outpost. Now I know that the military has a history of being the first to go places, but in this day and age such an idea seems to be antagonistic to other countries. Do we really want to create the possibility of a lunar battlefield? Why wouldn't this rankle countries such as Russia and China, with whom we ought to be working together, not separately. No one likes to be second place and most folks like it even less when it's rubbed in their face. A military outpost would likely upset such countries, even if they couldn't do anything about it at this time.

It is also hard to explain why such expenditures ($150 billion estimate according to the news) would not be better spent on solving problems here on Earth. Of course in preparing for such trips, new things could be discovered that might benefit the world. Hey, look at velcro. But since most of the money for outer space has no chance of directly benefitting those in real need (and I do not mean any corporation or industry), it would be a lot to spend just to give the average Joe something to marvel at.

Cynically speaking, this could all be just a big stunt to boost Dubya's popularity before the general election. G.H.W. Bush also announced plans to go to the Moon and Mars during his presidency. That clearly didn't go anywhere. It's too easy to say, "Like father, like son," but I think a bit more conversation needs to be had about the costs and benefits when we are still trying to fight a war, save Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, balance the budget, and make our schools the best for our kids.

Why not a real, enriching goal like REALLY leaving no child behind through excellent education, health insurance and safe streets? I guess there are too many obstacles for such worthy things. It might actually hit the pocketbooks of those who don't want to contribute to it. Woe to those who won't help to care for the real needs of their neighbors. It might require concensus and cooperation. Woe to those who won't put self aside to better the world that they live in.

Mandating change as the No Child Left Behind legislation did without funding is a cruel joke to those who really need help. Almost as cruel is to ignore such real needs and commit future generations to paying for a budget deficit caused in part by spending many billions of dollars on something that will mainly benefit companies that work within the military industrial complex. I would be more for the space exploration idea if it meant curtailing military expansion to do it. Instead, our kids will pay the interest on it and schools and lower income communities will continue to decline as usual.

What do I care, after all? It's not my neighborhood. Those people could improve themselves without me if they would just get off their lazy butts and get a third job. Then they would have more appreciation for capitalism and what it really means to be an American.

I hate knowing that there are people who really believe such awful things.