I had a conversation with a co-worker today, where this topic came up, as an example of "wasteful government spending." This co-worker is a limited government, pro-corporation, let the market decide, old-school conservative. On occasion we discuss politics and current events.
When I brought up the Apollo Program as put forward by JFK, as an example of a Government Program (NASA) that was definitely "worth the investment" -- my co-worker's predictable reply went something like this:
Well the Apollo program did have some "cold war" spin off benefits, so in that way it was worthwhile. Otherwise if the free-market doesn't want it, then our Government has no business, making us go there.
To which I replied well look at all the larger spin-off benefits that NASA program ultimately brought to the economy, spinning off businesses and products from their research (Tang, Velcro, Space Blanket, Satellite Communications, Weather Satellites, Advanced Electronics, etc, etc.)
Mr Free-Market was unphased by my economic argument. He simply asserted:
Show me in the Constitution where it says the Government has a right to invest in stuff like this? With our Tax Dollars?
To which I was momentarily stumped. (Then he quickly switched the topic to 2nd Amendment rights, and it was down another seemingly endless rabbit trail.)
Which leads me to the title question of today's post. What say you:
"Our Government has no 'Business' in Space."
True, False, It Depends; Discuss not-so-quietly among yourselves.
(And thanks for helping me out of this "free-market" government-investment maze.)
The main problem with Outer Space,
is that there is so much of it ...
-- Anonymous