[ExI] Moooon

[Stefano Vaj]

2011/7/23 Giovanni Santostasi <gsantostasi at gmail.com>

> This is the critical issue. It is not a matter of economy or politics
> (unless understood as general human affairs). It is a question of pushing
> the limits of human technology, survival capability, imagination, sense of
> adventure. We could have all stayed in Africa or for that stayed on trees
> instead of venturing in the Savannah, developing bipedal walking and so on.


Yes. And, btw, history has never been the feat of realists and accountants,
and their general idea of what is feasible and not.

For that matter, I understand that the US space movement, as marginal and
weak it may be in comparison with competing lobbies, essentially include
people who have nothing to "gain" (unless in the broadest sense) from it.
Actually, it if succeeded, the only practical consequences for most of its
members would be higher taxes, less welfare, or both. How can it happen that
they still staunchly support a space program?

The truth is that the "economic" behaviour of individual and societies alike
is not exclusively dictated by expectations of short-term monetary returns.
What exactly has an Afghan insurgent to expect in monetary term from putting
his own life in jeopardy, or by directly sacrificing it?

-- 
Stefano Vaj
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