Tomorrow's Dream at Today's Expense?

If the entire history of our Earth, all 4,600 million years of it, could be compressed into an hour, mankind (starting with the first hominids, about four million years ago) and all its civilizations would appear only within the last quarter of a second (source: the film Evolution: Great Transformations). And yet, we as a species upon this planet have had an impact of unprecedented magnitude upon its other inhabitants, geography, environment and atmosphere. In our short time on this earth, we have at times defied laws of nature as we let our imaginations take us beyond the skies above us to the limits of scientific possibility and human exploration. What separates the human species from the rest of the animal kingdom is our insatiable curiosity and thirst for more knowledge. The quest is, however, not without its costs.

I wholeheartedly support scientific exploration and the advancement of knowledge as it shapes and defines the world today. As scientific discovery generates new and more intriguing questions, and as we move with exponential speed toward whatever the future holds in store for us, I recognize as a citizen of a planet with finite resources that priorities must be established. On occasion this may need to be done at the expense of giving scientific exploration a free reign.

The recent juxtaposition of Earth and Mars close orbits has spawned a flurry of new robotic space exploration prompted by Europe's first mission to Mars with the little probe Beagle-2. Earlier this month, President George W. Bush heralded a new era of space exploration by proclaiming that "Human beings are headed into the cosmos." In short, his plans for the future of this country include sending astronauts back to the Moon by 2015, using robotic exploration of the Moon to prepare for a base to be inhabited by humans, missions to Mars, fixing and developing space shuttles for manned exploration by 2014, and finishing U.S. work on the International Space Station by 2010. It is estimated that the Moon plans alone will cost $12 billion over the next five years; furthermore, it is said that Bush would ask for a five percent increase of NASA's $15.4 billion budget for the next three years followed by a one percent increase thereafter (source: the BBC).

Though I agree that space exploration is the future and that it should be embraced, I question this administration's timing and motives. Why spend billions of dollars on space exploration when we could better use our spending toward preserving the Earth for future generations? When this country's education and health care system are in dire need of funding? When the U.S. budget deficit is expected to surge to more than $500 billion this year? In response to the supporters of this program who claim that our future will depend on space exploration today, I ask them to consider the needs of humans on our planet first. However enticing the dream of exploring the heavens may be, we must not forsake the reality of life here on Earth.

The billions of dollars being spent on space exploration should now be funneled to try and remedy the disaster Bush has created in Iraq. The War on Terror has stretched the resources of the United States thin, plunging it into a huge deficit as defense spending skyrockets at the expense of other needs in this country. As a superpower playing a leading role in an unprecedented era in global politics, the U.S. has a duty to the international community to use its power judiciously. Instead, the Bush administration has redefined its role by taking unilateral initiatives as a "global policeman."

No sum of money can rectify the damage U.S. foreign policy has done to its international image, especially during the last year. Our greatest problems, however, lie within our own borders. The American public should question the motives of this administration because we are living in an era of hypocrisy. Our president subjects the international community to U.S. regulations while simultaneously acting unilaterally as an autocratic hegemon, and he continually evokes notions of the future by proposing extravagant space travel while sentencing our children to live in a world where mistrust and hate reign, and where health care and education are low priorities.

The commencement of the year 2004 marked the beginning of a pivotal election year. Bush's term in office has been marked with tragedy, war and controversy. Before November, Bush and the Democratic nominee will vie for leadership of this country. The space exploration program Bush proposes serves as a smoke-screen for the problems he has created in this country and as a ploy for re-election this fall.

Space exploration is necessary, but not on the scale that is proposed for today. The heavens will be there for us tomorrow. Today, the American people need to get involved and force their government to adopt a more benign foreign policy and cultivate cohesiveness amongst the world's nations. The domestic focus should aim to better the conditions and standard of living of its citizens, pay off the budget deficit, and fund scientific exploration geared toward protecting the resources and people of our Earth, before looking up to explore (exploit?) the heavens.

Daphne LaBua is a Sophomore majoring in Political Science