July 21, 2009

I don't like to get off on a rant on our blog.  LilSis and I decided to be positive here, since there is so much negativity in the world, and we all need a little break from the stress of everyday life.  But I have to let it loose today!  The space program is my pet peeve, and if I see one more video of our moon landing 40 years ago I'm going to have a hissy fit.

Let me explain my unpopular opinion.  I think the space program is a gigantic race for bragging rights between countries.  It's an international ego trip.  Who can get to the moon first?  Who can get to Mars first?  Who can have the biggest and best space station?

I say who gives a flying fig?  Do you know how much we spend on the space program?  In 1969, the Apollo project cost $25 billion.  That's 40 years ago.  Now NASA wants to go back to the moon by 2020.  Any idea of how much that will cost?  President Obama has requested funds of $18.7 billion for NASA in 2010, $3.21 billion of which would go toward manned space exploration.   And did you know that the International Space Station is a $100 billion project?

My problem with all this ego spending is this.  I bet you a dollar that you know someone who has been impacted by childhood brain cancer, by breast cancer, by Alzheimer's disease, or by Lou Gehrig's disease.  What if we took the money we're throwing up into the atmosphere, and throw it at one of these diseases?  Do you think we might get a better return on our money?  I think we might. I want us to try.

I get that the space program provides a lot of jobs.  I get that the space program is a source of national pride.  But I say there are better sources of national pride. I'm proud of what our military is doing throughout the world to bring peace, for one thing.  And could there be any greater pride than that which would come from our research brainiacs finding a cure for one of these devastating diseases, as opposed to flying all over the galaxies looking for little green men…throwing our valuable mis-spent dollars out the window the whole way?

Do we really think there will come a day when we will need to live on the moon or another planet?  Really?  What are the odds of that?  Contrast that with the odds of getting one of these horrendous diseases.  I rest my case.  Let's kill the space program now.  Please.

~BigSis