I think the US should focus on problems in the US. We have high unemployment, little or no healthcare for most, poor education and school funding, TAXES out the wazoo, and aid to other countries that far exceeds what we spend on our own citizens. Why do we need to explore space we we don't even visit our own problems and face them?
I think we need to push to go to mars. I wasn't around for the kenedy years but he pushed the creativity of Americans. Sure they have had tradgedy but what exploration hasn't. I'll add more to this later the boss man is behind me. ADDED: We have lost creativity and innovation in the US now. They kill the creative programs at school (art, music) and they expect us to survive in the world just putting forth common knowledge. the schools push common thinking (where are the independent thinkers and dreamers) people back in the day had dreams of traveling to stars and those have all since vanished. I know I wanted to be an engineer for quite awhile. and the space program was part of it. companies are now afraid to take chances. and its how many things are doing. Nate
Maybe we can start a settlement on Mars, and since we are already spending so much money on foreigners to make their lives better, we can just beam them all up there and lower our terror threat level to "0". Was that politically incorrect?o No:
I heard a comment last night on one of those talking head shows on how we can afford to go back to the moon, and then on to Mars. And do it in a manner that a private corporation would do it these days. 1. Build the rocket in Mexico with parts made in Indonesia. 2. Launch it from China. 3. Sub out all the mission control jobs to India. Mission accomplished. And without having to pay any Americans a living wage or benefits.
Just trying to figure out here, how not pursuing space exploration will help unemployment, education and school funding, taxes or anything else for that matter. Funds given to education are out of the hands of the government. The big problem with education in this country is not the lack of funding, it's how the educational institutions mismanage the use of those funds. How will NOT going to space help unemployment. It will create jobs. 462CID has the right idea. You explore the unknown to gain knowledge. We have benefitted greatly from space exploration. It's just that we don't always see or even understand it in an obvious fashion. I would say if you think space exploration is useless, try to do a web search on some of the stuff we've learned from space exploration and come to your own conclusion. But don't just say it's a waste of time and money unless there is some evidence to suggest it has not returned anything on it's investment. If there is evidence it's useless time spent, then I would not be as much for it either. It's hard to understand it I guess if you can't see an immediate reward. I for one never believed in immediate rewards. Good things take time.
I think I can sum up my thoughts on this one by a quote from a BLack Sabbath Song: "We can put a man on the moon quite easy... while people here on earth are dying of old diseases" I'm sure there are some benefits to flying around the earth and moon, but we have nothing more to show from doind that except for a few rocks. IMO, Bush is useing this moon thing as a way to bring something positive into to his presidency. its pure propaganda... maybe we'll forget about the failed economy, the ongoing senseless war in Iraq, the threat of terror.... but we always have the moon to look forward too. That man needs to pack his stuff and go.:3gears:
Ain't that the truth. Just imagine what could happen if this guy gets another 4 yrs. I dread the thought. My children will be paying for all his spending throughout their lives in the form of higher taxes in order to pay off the national debt. :spank: Meanwhile, we are rebuilding a foreign country that only hates us and doesn't appreciate what we are doing. I wonder how long it will take until we will have to just go ahead and blow it all up all over again?:blast:
The Space program has produced many advances in medicine and the quality of life. I suggest you do a search on all the technologies gained by the spinoffs created by the space program. From the calculator to velcro etc..
He probably deleted it not wanting to create another political thread. Which is probably why I am going to delete my post that I just made 2 minutes before this. It serves no purpose.
I absolutly refuse to accept that the spin-offs of NASA make it worth while. The program was not started to give the common man velcro, or the calculater. Any arguement that includes, or supports the arguement that the newly learned technology used to get us in space, is now handy, and therefore we benfited from it, making nasa usefull. That is NOT a reason to support the sapce program. its the same thing as supporting the military because they gave us divots in our golf balls. Nasa is out there to give us hope, to discover new things, new resources, find life, or determine there is none. NOT to provide us with a better way of doing things....
Fortunately, it does BOTH!!:TU: If we were to eliminate NASA - there would be far reaching negative consequences!!:eek2: The technology that has trickled down from NASA and yes - space exploration - is HUGELY significant!! There has to be MUCH more yet to be discovered/developed too!!! Alot of the technology has military and civilian applications. I'd hate to think where we'd all be without that!!:TU: For starters, the next generation Space Shuttles could help with RAPID mass transit(among other things)...not only from one coast to the other, but from one country to another. That benefits everyone...not just the US.:Smarty: :TU: I have to believe an earlier post, about every dollar spent at NASA to bring an even larger return on our 'investment'!! I don't believe President Bush's Vision for space to be a political one...no more than it was for JFK!! Whether we go into space again or not..we'll still have 'issues' to deal with down here. *Almost forgot to mention....there is alot of technology that has been put into use for us gearheads!! All those cool coatings that protect internal parts(piston tops, etc) from melting down, header coatings, future fuel cell use, etc.
I disagree a lot, being involved in the aerospace field since '96. NASA's job is not to provide me with gadgets, but they do involve themselves with better ways to do things. Medicine has already been mentioned. GPS was not designed as a civilian tool but it is a better way to do things, and I don't mean just a nifty was to find a way across town, how about for commercial fishermen who are disabled in a storm at sea? NASA cannot do it;s job if it doesn't figure out a better way to do things. By the way, NASA does not develop and produce all aerospace products, many smaller companies contribute from proposals to finished parts for aerospace. It is really easy to look at this and see, from your perspective, that nothing good for common folks comes from anything NASA does. From my side of the fence, I see a lot more bread going on tables because of gov't funding dollars devoted to aerospace than maybe anyone else on the forum. Also consider the astronauts themselves, who have provided their country with the best and brightest individuals we can produce. They are often hired out as motivational speakers for students. Big deal, right? Well, I think that getting just one child motivated in school who has the potential for, oh, let's say curing cancer, is worth the whole shebang of launching monkeys astronauts, dairy cows, office furniture, anything, into space if that's what it takes. Is NASA's aim to produce motivational speakers? Hardly. But the calibre of person it takes to be an astronaut is a sterling example for our youth. The common Hero nowadays is a sports star who is probably a whining, complaining prima donna who makes 10 million dollars a year and can't spell or speak coherent English, even if he's not a drugs at the moment, or if he takes a break from cheating on/beating his wife. I for one would like to see a different kind of person hailed a a hero. National Pride is really lacking in this country. I think things like space exploration can help that out. I called this one on September 12th, 2001: all those flags people had flying from their cars would fall off in a few weeks, and there would be thousands of US flags laying by the side of the road in the dirt, and NOBODY would bother to pick their flag up. That sad little prediction came true. If we had real national pride, I wouldn't have seen those muddy flags in the gutter. I guess my whole point is: I'd rather see NASA do SOMEthing to help out the US than NOthing at all. A lot of time, money and enrgy is going into space whether you like it or not or even if it's right or not, but I think ignoring space is wrong for as simple a reason as: it's there. We're supposed to be doing great things, why don't we give it a try? Maybe I take a point too far, but that's my feelings on it. No homeless person will get a house if we go to the moon. But if we don't go back, he still doesn't get a house. No hungry child will get a meal because NASA was scrapped. AIDS will not be cured because we abandoned space. But things developed by and in space might just help some of those problems along some day.
Yes, exactly. I made an impulsive reply to a comment made. I try not to get wrapped up in the political arguments on this board. It serves no purpose here, and only breeds hard feelings between people who otherwise would be good buddies sharing their interests in Buicks and cars in general. After I posted it, I decided It best to delete it and not add fuel to any fire. I really don't care what anyones political stance is. As long as we agree on Buicks, and having a good time that's all that mattters. :beer :beer PS. Don't forget food sticks as another result of going to the Moon. Remember those as a kid? Yuck!
A lot of family arguements on Christmas and Thanksgiving could have been avoided had I followed that logic. Good idea.:TU:
Very well said Chris :Smarty: I work with one of the astronauts who is a teaching cardiologist He a very driven and brilliant. And is considered to be one of the top teaching cardiologist in the country.
I don't think Bush will find Osama on Mars, resources should be used to clean up the planet we live on.
Clean up the planet?? I hope you don't mean to have some libby come to our houses and force us to scrap our parts cars!!:shock:
C'mon guys. The question was whether we needed to go to the moon, not what you think of the current lot of politicians. Nobody that I know has changed their mind on politicians or religion based on what they read at v8-Buick.com any more than Joe's brother-in-law changed his mind over Christmas dinner (sorry Joe). So how about drop the politics before you kill what has so far been an over-all interesting exchange of opinions on the value of space exploration.
