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Request for Cosmic Collision Insurance
HobbySpacer writes "According to this article a group of distinguished citizens has sent an open letter to Congress, the President, and other world leaders to request that they begin a serious program to protect the planet from the possible impact of a comet or asteroid. The petitioners include Freeman Dyson, Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, Neil Tyson (Director of the Hayden Planetarium) and others. They say that for "the first time in human history, we have the potential to protect ourselves from a catastrophe of truly cosmic proportions." A three phase program is urged that includes detection, exploration, and contingency planning. See the full letter at www.CongressNEOaction.org"
I dont care if 5000 kids in africa die. I dont care if 5000 kids in america die. I do care if 6,300,000,000 people die. The entire acomlishments of mankind, gone in an instant.
Asteroid defence will have similar benefits as when they designed a computer network to survive a nuclear war, well, it should have anyway. Bush has just given Billions of american taxpayers dollars to help Africa, but ultimatly, Africa is what Africa does, it's overpopulated, full of warlords that spend 10%+ of their GDP on the military (by comparrison the U.S. spends 3%, slightly above average for the world), and isnt a great place to live. While they keep bringing 10 kids into a country where theres plenty of food, but no way to distribute it because of the lack of security, the problems will continue. Money doesnt solve everything, and the only quick fix solution to africa's problems would be the U.S (or a western alliance) taking over pretty much the entire continent. The only mid-term solution to Africa is golbalisation, but you probably dont like that either.
Saying "dont spend a penny on space until we fix things down here" is a stupid, short sighted and down-right ignorant as certain groups saying "dont give oversea's aid, spend it on social security instead".