My hometown newsrag, The Indianapolis Star, has a feature called "Let it Out" which allows readers to opine on anything they should be thinking about. On Friday, August 31, 2007, a (IMHO) jackass/"progressive" (but I repeat myself) posited the following statement:

"I guess you could consider America the greatest country in the world when it would rather spend billions putting a piece of metal in space than aid those in need of jobs, food, and shelter."

I've heard this argument time and time again, ie: "why spend money on the space program when we have so many needs here on Earth ?", and usually it comes from a sincerely caring type of "progressive" that always bemoans any money spent other than welfare and other types of aid to "the poor"; whether here at home, or across the world.

I've had knock down-dragout fights arguments with family members over this issue.

My position is that the Space Program is the best thing that this country has done since first positing the idea of freedom of the individual. The fact is that every dollar that we have spent on space has returned tenfold to the good of our society in terms of new products, technology, and ability to help the greatest number for the lowest cost. I contend that money spent on space has helped more disadvantaged people than ANY of the "Great Society" welfare/Medicaid programs have.

WHY do I feel that way? Think about it. I'll wait.

You say you still think I'm talking out of my ass? Okay, YOU tell me of any major step forward in just about any area where it wasn't made possible by the space program within, at most, three degrees of separation.

NASA has a site that just touches some highlights of spin-offs, to include general areas such as:

1. Computer Technology
2. Consumer/Home/Recreation
3. Environmental and Resource Management
4. Health and Medicine
5. Industrial Productivity/Manufacturing Technology
6. Public Safety
7. Transportation

Those are main points, but remember that progress rarely develops in straight lines; many times, one piece of new technology often affects development in multiple other areas that you would not at first think connected.

James Burke has made a career of outlining historical "Connections" of progress through history. The fact is that the space program has exponentially increased the pace of those "connections" between various disciplines, to the betterment of the world in general.

Here is my challenge: Tell me any step of forward progress that hasn't benefited from/or been caused by the space program, within three degrees of separation, within the last thirty years.

That microwave you just used to pop some popcorn before an evenings stroll through the www? Space program.

That MRI that just alerted your doctor that he'd better treat you quickly before your (insert disease of choice here) has reached the stage that there is no treatment and you're soon to meet your maker? Space program again.

The PC/laptop that your're using to read this? Bingo! Space program.

Okay, let me have your best shot.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 07:03 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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