My two pennies worth. I was as thrilled as any when the first man stepped on the moon. But even at that time, there was concern in this country about priorities. Pehaps we will never be rid of the poverty, violence and fear in this country and on this earth that so many live with every day, but we have to try. Another race to be first is deplorable, imo. And it isn't necessary.

Many, many times out of our testosterone-driven quest for excitement, human beings have been added to an equation, when it would be but a fraction of the cost and at no risk to sentient life if sophisticated instruments and tools alone were sent to do a job. With the capabilities we now have and with more on the horizon, why would it be necessary to send people? For pete's sake, we are getting wonderful pictures right now from Mars, 49 million miles away, by remote control. Very soon it will be possible to bring back physical data for examination. All without risking one life. So yeah, Clinton, count me in: "Only an idiot would ever even have to ASK that question... "

Quote:
Today's Luddites continue to raise moral and ethical arguments against the excesses of modern technology to the extent that our inventions and our technical systems have evolved to control us rather than to serve us and to the extent that such leviathans can threaten our essential humanity.