Where Should Governments Invest in Space Exploration?

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Based upon this link https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=12402" to these forums/thread on "Space exploration" where would you like to see governments spending money?

P.S. I picked 'other' as clearly I understand that all three of those are, in reality, tied together...No "Copy Catting" please (honesty counts..?)

 

[selfAdjoint]

All of the above. Distribution negotiable. These aren't a zero-sum set because there are other elements of the national budget that might enter the calculation, such as military spending. Social Welfare is not clearly defined; do you include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and VA health benefits?

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Originally posted by selfAdjoint
All of the above. Distribution negotiable. These aren't a zero-sum set because there are other elements of the national budget that might enter the calculation, such as military spending. Social Welfare is not clearly defined; do you include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and VA health benefits?

Good question, probably all social welfare programs, 'generally' as this is meant to be just a 'generality' of opinion(s)

 

[russ_watters]

other: paying down the debt, with a little bit of money to enhance the current space program.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Originally posted by russ_watters
other: paying down the debt, with a little bit of money to enhance the current space program.

Good one, but doesn't 'investing' by the government generate more tax revenues, hence affording better opportunity to pay it down from a bigger fund?

 

[Moni]

I don't know, what to say

I am not an US, I am from Bangladesh...and from this part of the world...I am not sure really !

 

[Andy]

I vote for space exploration. Society has gone down the pan so much that i don't think any amount of money will save it.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Originally posted by Andy
I vote for space exploration. Society has gone down the pan so much that i don't think any amount of money will save it.

So better we find a way out, or off, of the planet? then we run into the "who goes/who stays" conundrum...

 

[Andy]

Nobody has to stay and nobody has to leave. Should be a choice, but i would like to see a rather large penal colony set up on Mars or something.

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by Mr. Robin Parsons
Good one, but doesn't 'investing' by the government generate more tax revenues, hence affording better opportunity to pay it down from a bigger fund?

Possibly, but saving/investing money is not something I'd ever trust the government to do (see: social security). I'd rather they just pay down the debt.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Originally posted by Andy
Nobody has to stay and nobody has to leave. Should be a choice, but i would like to see a rather large penal colony set up on Mars or something.

Expensive imprisonment don't you think, aside from that you had mentioned society going down the pan which invoked the thought of 'a need to leave' because of the gone down the pan...

It should be noted that I sort of 'played' as "space exploration" and "education" arise in/from the same place, the human need of knowledge...

EDIT SP!

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Originally posted by russ_watters
Possibly, but saving/investing money is not something I'd ever trust the government to do (see: social security). I'd rather they just pay down the debt.

Social Security is something that isn't simply a matter of 'trust' having gone awry, more like economics, the changes that have gone on and on and on money-markets and predictabilities, not just as simple as that...

But on that note I too have been in the 'pay down the debt' camp, but not at the expence of the future, so a little bit of both would be nice, timing is important, timing of funding, as well as timing of paying down the debt...

 

[Silverious]

The Education system as it is now? Hell no. But I'd be all for putting money into it to rework it, to where kids don't come out of high school still idiots.

My vote goes to space exploration.

 

[Andy]

Expensive imprisonment don't you think, aside from that you had mentioned society going down the pan which invoked the thought of 'a need to leave' because of the gone down the pan...

Dont get me wrong, i like society as it is. But it has gone to far for any amount of money to change it. And if it meant getting rid of all the paedophiles rapists and murderers then i think we should send them to another planet, or maybe straight into the sun.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Originally posted by Andy
Dont get me wrong, i like society as it is. But it has gone to far for any amount of money to change it. And if it meant getting rid of all the paedophiles rapists and murderers then i think we should send them to another planet, or maybe straight into the sun.

The italicized sort of contradicts the emboldened...

 

[Zantra]

Hmmm.. space exploration 1st choice on THIS site? Nope, I didn't even need to look at the poll . I think I'd go other and distribute the sum amongst them all. I'd LIKE to believe that Bush's space plan is a serious one... Well I'd LIKE to believe that anyhow...

As a side note, I wouldn't earmark a lot for education. There's already enough money that's "supposed" to be going to education, but it isn't- such as lottery money. I mean if they were serious about that plan, there wouldn't be any shortages in education.

 

[Andy]

The italicized sort of contradicts the emboldened...

Good point MRP...good point.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Originally posted by Zantra
(SNIP) Hmmm.. space exploration 1st choice on THIS site? Nope, I didn't even need to look at the poll . I think I'd go other and distribute the sum amongst them all. I'd LIKE to believe that Bush's space plan is a serious one... Well I'd LIKE to believe that anyhow... (SNoP)

O.K. So perhaps all of you can forgive me for the simplicity that the three responces are all ties together intricately in the manners of functions of economics, as in if you start paying high priced acedemic and research jobs, it cascades down into/through society providing additional funding in/through tax revenues, that then end up be available for education and also Social Welfare, plus you have the promotion of new ideas/products that can arise from research, exploration, and discovery in the sciences and all that surrounds and entails all of these kinds of growth possibilities/potentials...

It's the money...

 

[jimmy p]

I agree with Andy, society would be better if we didnt have criminals. Instead of wasting money on creating a colony on Mars which would require a hell of a lot of work just to house a bunch of cons. Wouldnt the money be better used sending them to the Sun? that way we would be developing AND testing better heat resistant materials as well as getting rid of the dastardly criminals.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Murder is never a solution, and neither of you had ever be caught at a crime...look what you recommend as a solution, YIKES!

 

[jimmy p]

HEY HEY, I never said I WOULD press the button!

 

[pace]

I was thinking about the world when I saw the poll, I voted education, education is very important in third-world countries. By that I mean that it's what I would see it be put the most money into. When it comes to countries like norway and especially usa, I still would put more into education, since many people have bad educational oppertunities(ie. only rich people get descent education, this is especially true in countries as usa I hear), things can be made much better, or schools could be renovated.
But it's difficult to see what also naturally needs the most money.

Now that I see so many voting for space-exploration, wasting so much money on an issue that's been spent already way too much of in usa, I'm definitely glad I voted education!