As usual, your cynicism comes in concentrated burts, like distilled tetrodotoxin. Actually, I do see the pragmatic angle here, but I can’t *quite* stomach it this time around. Maybe grudgingly if large sums of money weren’t at stake…but they are.

Yes, money and greed determine priorities for our government and countless others; that doesn’t mean we have to endorse said prioritization. You like the idea of humankind in space? Great, so do I. But I think it’s idiotic to spend energy and money on that (dubiously) lofty goal given the mess this over-populated planet has become. I mean, really, it’s laughable and reprehensible all at once. We thump the daylights out of our own planet and mis-treat our fellow humans in the name of (insert your favorite faith, political party or commodity here) on a daily basis and now we want to take that show on the road at obscene expense? Sorry, but ideologically (!), I will not stand behind that.

Or, put more succinctly, Do Not Want.

And yes, I hope that we can hook up with other nations, and that ideally the inevitable colonization of space will be multi-cultural. I just don’t know if that will happen with some of our more xenophobic neighbors.

Anyway, if Americans feel they must spend money on the “space race”, I can only hope they hook-up with other countries and make a joint effort so as to spread out the cost and avoid a monoculture.

Anyway, if Americans feel they must spend money on the “space race” I can only hope they hook up with other countries and make a joint effort so as to spread out the cost and avoid a monoculture.