ZOT! Bush has promised the moon (and all I got was this lightning bolt)

Washington Post, New York Times, The Guardian ^ | Friday January 16, 2004

[Diogenesis]

You are wrong, wrong, wrong.

Wrong about the importance of space exploration.

And wrong about the importance of liberating Iraq.

... and why do you care what terrorist countries think, anyway?

[coloradan]

Bush Unveils Plan To Send America To The Poorhouse

[coloradan]

... But The Journey Will Take Longer Than Democrat Plan

[Prodigal Son]

Could you elaborate without blowing a fuze?

If I have not a clue, you should be able to sort me out in very short order right?

Explain to me how America became a successful nation without government programs.

[RightWhale]

Is it moral to spend hundreds of millions on space adventures while there are people suffering

Is it ethical to answer this same lame question every time someone posts it?

Probably, so here it is again. After 6000 years of history they still haven't solved these societal problems. So forget it, we're moving on.

[bolobaby]

Really! The poor live pretty well these day eh? How thoughtful of you to think so. Thank you for sharing those thoughts. Hopefully you will never experience poverty.

Hey wiseguy... by gubbermint standards *I am poor*... and then some. Since I got out of the army, I moved into an impoverished community. Everyone here is poor and I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of the world wants to have this standard of living.

But really... the only longterm solution to poverty is A JOB. You can't create jobs through hand-out programs, but you CAN create it through industry. The defense industry and the space program are two examples. Did you think that spending on the space program would somehow *not* create jobs?

[Diogenesis]

Actually, it depends.

The Soviet Union was a failure -- except for ONE (1) thing: Venus

Venus - color panoramic view from Soviet Venera 13 lander on 3/1/982.
The camera thereafter melted from the surface temperature of 482 degrees Celsius.

(click for more info)

[chuckwalla]

Since the earth is flat we don't need ships to go too far so they don't fall off.
So all ships should be small.
The money should be spent on people who do nothing for their own lives. Produce nothing.
And those that are productive should give all their productivity to those who do nothing.
Is that your world????????

[RightWhale]

Precisely what technology did we "gain" from the moon missions?

The answer has already been posted. It is unethical to keep asking.

[dr_who_2]

Nope. Now answer my question.

[dr_who_2]

It is unethical to stop asking.

[RightWhale]

It is unethical to ignore the answer. A rational pluralism cannot endure when people are not reasonable.

[hobson]

Goodness, do I need to tie your shoes too? Look it up.

[Once-Ler]

Is it moral to spend hundreds of millions on space adventures while there are people suffering from hunger and diseases that could be cured with minimal financial effort?

John 12

4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,

5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

Jesus said "For the poor always ye have with you." Even Jesus couldn't solve the problem of poverty...I know Jesus, I've asked him to guide me, Dubya is no Jesus. Cut him some slack.

You mention it cost $87 billion for Iraq, but we can't put a price on 3,000 lives lost on 9-11. What would have been the cost if Dubya had done nothing in Iraq? You mention Africa, but Dubya has done more to help Africa when it comes to AIDS funding than any previous President.

Who can tell what the benifits to man when we "slip the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God?" Is it moral? I think so. It is our destiny.

[dr_who_2]

Deep. Where is this evidence that you speak of?

[Diogenesis]

You said, "Americans can afford to be more benevolent when the government stops spending their tax dollars on pet projects of no practical use to anyone besides a few aerospace companies."

Because of our human natural inquisitiveness,
more people downloaded the pictures from Mars than anything in history.

More people have been encouraged [just as they have been
encouraged by the liberation of the Iraqi and Afghani people].

Perhaps you have other plans for them? Real science is double-plus-ungood, eh?