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Forget Space, Fix Earth Instead

Pareene asks why bother 'getting Americans boldly from one place to another place?'

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 20, 2009 2:45 PM CDT

(Newser) – On today’s 40th anniversary of the moon landing, President Obama should again show bravery and determination by not indulging in more space exploration, Alex Pareene urges for Gawker. NASA has $100 billion earmarked to replace the shuttles, in order to do what? Go “back to the damn moon, where we have been.” Dubya’s plans for a Mars colony are even more expensive—and with a payoff even farther away.

Why not focus on our abundant terrestrial problems? Wouldn’t it be nice, Pareene asks, to have that $100 billion for, you know, providing coverage to the uninsured? Or finding solutions to global warming “and maybe forestall the day when we destroy our atmosphere and actually do have to flee the planet in a hurry?”

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

This photo shows the Apollo 11 astronauts on the lunar surface after landing from a new digitally refurbished version of the original moon landing video unveiled Thursday, July 16, 2009. (AP Photo/NASA TV)

This undated handout image taken by NASA's Lunar shows Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), shows the Apollo 14 landing site on the moon. (AP Photo, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University)

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It was pretty awesome that we actually sent men to the moon to walk around, collect rocks, and go back home, 40 years ago. But now would be a good time to dedicate ourselves to putting jobs of some kind back in Michigan.
- Alex Pareene

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 15 comments

Snowleopard

Jul 21, 2009 12:33 PM CDT

it's so strange to hear people on the right defending government spending.

Snowleopard

Jul 21, 2009 12:30 PM CDT

once again Corona King shows his complete ignorance and a total inability to make anything resembling a coherent argument. What kind of ignoramus is this guy? Is he just pretending to be this dumb? it's liberals that tend to be more in favor of government programs like this, where the conservative wing thinks that the private sector can do everything better and that we don't need government investment for anything besides the military and prison systems. the truth is that we never would have landed on the moon, or even made the progress with satellites, if it weren't for the public sector. (btw, I do agree that further spending on NASA should go on hold until we balance the budget)

vendetta

Jul 21, 2009 1:06 AM CDT

Forget space? Spoken like a true moron.

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Barack Obama • NASA • global warming • Mars • space shuttle • budget • moon landings • George W. Bush • President Obama • space shuttle landing

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Forget Space, Fix Earth Instead