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Would you FAVOR or OPPOSE cutting funding for space program/mission-to-nowhere to cut spending/use $ elsewhere?
If a Presidential candidate said they'd cut that enormously WASTEFUL space program, like investing in crap like the "International Space Station", which have absolutely NO PURPOSE OR USE WHATSOEVER, would you be more favorable or un-favorable towards that candidate?
Why?
What would you use the funds for?? Energy development? Education? Lower taxes? Or just save the taxpayers money??
With all due respect for your poll question, the real economic issue facing US citizens, now and going forward, is that the social security and medicare promises are simply unrealistic.
These are the main items in the budget, look at any pie chart, space spending is really quite marginal and it will not make a significant difference.
Few, if any, politicians have an interest in flatly telling US citizens that the value of their pensions and health care system, not to mention their current employment income, is in the midst of a significant economic downgrading: this is real, they can play with prices, interest rates, and inflation numbers all they want.
Indeed, in the absence of structural reforms, the easiest way to achieve this downgrading is through monetary debasement and inflation, while keeping people high on the money supply so they don't notice (but the housing industry disaster is bringing people down from that high, for the moment).
If anything, we could demand that spending on space contribute to the search for viable forms of alternative energy (assuming that this suggestion has any scientific merit).
the space program is a drop in the bucket compared to entitlement programs. they are the real issue here.
with out the space program, you could say good bye to your cable/satellite tv, your cellphone, gps, various medical devices, and dont forget...DEFENSE etc that have been brought to market on the back of initial research done by nasa/space program.
if anything, nasa needs to be given larger budgets along with the NIH and CDC. Cutting funding from research and education is extremely short sighted and benefits no one.
IMO, NASA's entire purpose was to compete with the Soviets. When the USSR folded, NASA also should have. Let private companies and universities deal with space exploration.
I think this country has so many problems to work through that space exploration needs to be put on the backburner. It was a great thing during the Clinton presidency (because there was nothing significant going on during his presidency) but during these difficult times, the "luxury spending" needs to be cut.
A lot of the technology NASA has developed has found its way into the modern world, i.e. velcro. And space exploration and the possible finding of alien life? Fascinating.
A lot of the technology NASA has developed has found its way into the modern world, i.e. velcro. And space exploration and the possible finding of alien life? Fascinating.
But we need to pick the things we want to spend our precious money on during these difficult times, and space exploration should not be one of them. Its a nice thing to have during "carefree" times where we are in the situation to do so, but right now, we are stretched too thin to do these excess "luxury" projects. If private companies pay for it, then they can go right ahead, but the government needs to trim these non-essential things from their budget.
the space program also has huge implications for our national defense/military. cutting the space program would be very short sighted on that end as well.
the space program is being kicked around like a political football and cutting it won't solve anything, other than make the people who suggest/support this 'look' like they are saving money for a better good.
the real issues with our budget are entitlement spending. reducing/cutting social security, medicare/medicaid would realize much greater gains in terms of national budget.
The Air Force space program does such a better and more organized job (with more efficient rockets and equipment), let them represent the government owned portion and leave the rest to privatization!
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