>> I'm in favor of funding NASA with taxes (my taxes included), etc. NASA was buying things from Russia and overspending with the ULA contractors until SpaceX

>> I'm in favor of funding NASA with taxes (my taxes included), etc. NASA was buying things from Russia and overspending with the ULA contractors until SpaceX came around. Unfortunately, in entrenched industries, it sometimes takes someone like Elon with all of his flaws to actually get shit done. The private sector needs to push the public one from time to time. >> I think flint wasn't the best example for this specifically. But it very much was. Most problems we have as a society and the greatest injustices are not ones where short-term - or even long-term - economic bandages will solve the problem. The enemy is mostly us and how we choose to politically navigate these situations. >> It's great that we can recycle urine on the ISS, but can we help people in less fortunate places who have no water? You've chosen another Flint. Do you think globally, the problem of water distribution is one where private money could solve issues? This would only be true if you were okay with private money hiring private military contractors to overthrow dictators who are oppressing their citizens on purpose to control them with water shortages, and quelling political wars/problems with privately-funded forces to increase water distribution efficiency. If that's unacceptable - and I think you will find that it is - then private money doesn't do a lot there. Water shortages exist globally primarily because leaders of countries want them to exist, or don't give a shit that they exist. Not because there isn't enough money being thrown at the problem. >> I'm not saying we should spend all of that money on not going to space, just that we should consider what we're really achieving vs. what we know we can effectively achieve in terms of bettering humans as a society. You keep bringing up money as the proxy, however. I want you to describe to me how billions of dollars could fix political instability globally that won't make American private companies seen as imperialist assholes.