I see this moon launch as an exorbitantly wasteful, nationalist project. No money for healthcare and housing, but plenty of money to boldly go where man has gone several many times before.
When I bring this up with liberal friends and family, they give me a sort of incredulous look and talk about how wonderful and scientific and non-political it is. I don’t mind being the “you’ve gone too far left” guy, but you talk to the same people about military spending and they’re right on board.
Is someone here able to diagnose my crankiness and explain why this is actually a good use of resources? (Will also accept echo-chamber validation and ways to use this to increase class consciousness, if offered.)
The counter take I heard - and this one was for Mars missions - was “sure the money could be better spent on Earth, but would it?”
Chances are, especially the Trump II administration, would spend the NASA budget on more bombs against Gazans or Iranians if they could have. In fact, they’ve cut NASA’s budget I think announced literally the day after the Artemis II launch. Out there, it’s doing Stuff ™️ - and unlike Apollo 11 there’s some real science theyre gonna do this time so its not total vanity - and its not being spent on bombing other countries hospitals and schools.