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.)
I agree with you that space travel would be a thing in almost any society that has the resources. Space and space travel are topics that interests humans across many cultures. Journalists consider the topics news value in itself, the most tiny discoveries in space get published by general media because even mentioning space (travel) generates interest. Allocating resources towards space travel is justified if it’s what people want to work for. In capitalist society every ‘cool’ thing will be tainted by the horrors of capitalism, same as sports and arts. I think most criticisms on space travel itself are misdirected, but the criticisms on this particular mission seem valid.