Agree or Disagree: Day 19: The government should increase funding to NASA

[Aizen]

credit to harry for today's


Day 7: OJ did it: 93.6%
Day 17: Bestiality is immoral 87.2%
Day 1: Coke > Pepsi: 78.4%
Day 4: Sunday is the first day of the week: 46.5%
Day 6: McDonalds is disgusting: 45.5%
Day 15: Dogs > Cats: 41.7%
Day 12: Suburbs are awesome: 39.5%
Day 18: College football > NFL: 39.3%
Day 9: NASCAR should be banned due to wasting gas 35.1%
Day 11: Bush should be tried for war crimes in 2009: 34.8%
Day 5: America is becoming too socialistic: 32.6%
Day 14: The North is more racist than the South: 26.7%
Day 3: Spanking is child abuse: 22.6%
Day 2: It's OK to hit a car if it's illegally parked: 21.2%
Day 16: Homosexuality is immoral 20.6%
Day 10: Gabu was the best poster this forum ever had: 18.2%
Day 13: Scientology is a valid religion: 7%


NOW TAKING SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE TOPICS

Strip clubs are awesome (BRTD)
Climate change is primarily caused by humans (Harry)
The Apollo moon landings were real/fake (Harry)
Christmas must have snow to really be christmas. (hughento)
The university you attend is more important than the degree you do there (hughento)
Some people shouldn't be allowed to name thier kids (Sensei)

[Keystone Phil]

...

I think we found one that will beat the O.J. question.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Agree.

[Eraserhead]

Disagree

[dead0man]

One of the few govt programs I actually want to increase spending on....hell, maybe the only.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Yes, but symbolic things shouldn't be the number one priority.  Funding NASA should be increased to beef up research on various forms of alternative energy from space and on other programs that ultimately improve the quality of life on earth.

Super expensive manned missions should have a place, but not the end all be all of NASA.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Disagree.

NASA could be shut down as far as I'm concerned.

[Smid]

I've copied and pasted this segment from West Wing, Season II, Episode ix before, I think on a debate about something like this. Nonetheless, it's one of my favourite episodes, so I'm going to put it out there again.

MALLORY
I talked to my dad. I'm sorry about Galileo.

SAM
They've got a lot of tests they can still try.

MALLORY
How much money is it gonna cost to try them?

SAM
Don't start with me.

MALLORY
I'm asking as a taxpayer. It cost 165 million dollars to lose the thing. How much more money is it gonna cost to make sure you're never gonna find it?

SAM
I don't know, Mallory, but we certainly won't divert any municipal tax dollars, which are always best spent on new hockey arenas.

MALLORY
No, it's best spent feeding, housing and educating.

SAM
There are a lot of hungry people in the world, Mal, and none of them are hungry because we went to the moon. None of them are colder, and certainly none of them are dumber 'cause we went to the moon.

MALLORY
And we went to the moon. Do we really have to go to Mars?

SAM
Yes.

MALLORY
Why?

SAM
'Cause it's next. For we came out of the cave, and we looked over the hill, and we saw fire. And we crossed the ocean, and we pioneered the West, and we took to the sky. The history of man is hung on the timeline of exploration, and this is what's next.

MALLORY
I know.

SAM
People like you, who say that... [beat] What?

MALLORY
I said I know. We're supposed to be explorers.

SAM
Then what the hell?

MALLORY
I just want to hear you talk about it.

That's one of my favourite lines there. Actually, just about anything Sam says qualifies as one of my favourite lines - his rhythm is just such an aural delight, but here he explains why I agree with the proposition.

[JSojourner]

I am always torn over this.  But here's my thing:  If there were a budget surplus, no war, poverty on the decline and a strong economy, I'd say fine...increase funding.  Good can come from the space program.

Unfortunately, as good as some things can be, we can't always afford them.  I'd love to have an indoor swimming pool adjacent to my house.  It wouldn't just be a luxury...it would help keep me healthy, help my wife and I with our aching joints and so on...

But we can't afford it.  Not for awhile.  Not until we pay down our debt and take care of other priorities.  That's how I feel about space exploration and so on...

[Smid]

I am always torn over this.  But here's my thing:  If there were a budget surplus, no war, poverty on the decline and a strong economy, I'd say fine...increase funding.  Good can come from the space program.

Unfortunately, as good as some things can be, we can't always afford them.  I'd love to have an indoor swimming pool adjacent to my house.  It wouldn't just be a luxury...it would help keep me healthy, help my wife and I with our aching joints and so on...

But we can't afford it.  Not for awhile.  Not until we pay down our debt and take care of other priorities.  That's how I feel about space exploration and so on...

Jings I hate it when I say something, and then you disagree with me and I read why you disagree with me and realise I've said something dumb. Probably why I always try to watch for threads where you've posted recently - you always challenge my thinking and I guess I like that.

[MasterJedi]

Agree

[minionofmidas]

Absolutely not. Just an expensive hobby.

[Workers' Friend]

Accidentally picked Disagree, meant to pick Agree.

[Keystone Phil]

Guys, we're talking about an increase in NASA funding now. Do people really support this?

[John Dibble]

Yes. The sooner I'm able to leave this rock for good the better!

[Boris]

At a future date when everything is nice and stable. I really want to see humans walking on Mars sometime within my lifespan.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

At a future date when everything is nice and stable. I really want to see humans walking on Mars sometime within my lifespan.

^^^^^

NASA needs to be reformed obviously (and given more serious goals) and funding should relate to performance. However in theory I support it wholeheartedly.

But its probably going to take a crisis in the world metal markets or an increase in demand for Helium-3 which will finally take us off this rock.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Disagree.

NASA could be shut down as far as I'm concerned.

^^^^

My stance:  Don't we have enough problems on Earth?

[Earth]

I disagree. I don't think it's a necessary move, particularly the way the economy is playing out currently.