Su-u-u-ure they would.
We in the United States have become a nation of whiners, fools and cowards. We not only don't have the guts to explore but we even want to legislate health and safety. "There should be a law" is our creed and "a single human life" is our rallying cry. Do you imagine that there would be a single person on these continents if those were the words of our ancestors? Do you imagine that we would even exist at all? If we did manage to survive the millennia as a species we would still be living in caves and eating whatever we could catch -- and dying anyway.
That is the point. I saw it on a T shirt once: "Exercise, Eat Right, Don't Smoke, Die Anyway." It is impossible to save a life. It is only possible to postpone the inevitable. That being the case, why don't we live with a little more gusto?
I'm not talking about kyaking across the Pacific or bungee jumping out of a 747 -- I'm talking about taking a chance, exploring, trying new things -- letting other people do as they please.
Take smoking. Any half-brain-dead cat is smart enough to know that breathing smoke is bad for you. If you doubt that, just put a lit cigarette near a cat's nose. He not only won't get hooked, he'll get as far away from it as possible. BUT, it is not up to YOU to decide for ME if I want to do something stupid. Nor is it up to me to decide for you. As long as you abide by the prohibitions against smoking in confined areas it's none of my business. I don't give a rat's butt if you stink either. I smell worse stuff just walking down an ordinary street and much worse after a supper of beans. Get real. The rabid anti-smokers just want to expend some of the energy that would be better used exploring the moon or the depths of the ocean. We need a CAUSE to feel alive and if we don't have the guts to actually do something, we have to build our power base on the bones of hapless people we imagine need saving.
Look at the space program. If the technology had existed 500 years ago there would have been settlements on the moon and Mars within a few years. Thousands of people died settling this continent. Certainly their families suffered for their losses but life went on. The quest was worth the risk. These days we're so afraid that someone will get hurt or die that we give up at the first sign of trouble. It's not as though we didn't have enough people. The loss of a few wouldn't make a bit of difference in the grand scheme. Before you yell "Callous!", read on.
We waste lives by the millions to fight stupid political, social, economic or religious wars. Why can't we expend a few exploring? I would go. You bet I would. I would tell my family that it was my choice and that I'd be as careful as possible but if I died in space it would be the culmination of the greatest experience of my life. There are millions of people who believe as I do. So, what's the hold up? The hold up is a few bleeding hearts and a few politicians who are afraid to lose votes. Chickens.
The only possible solution is to make the space program a private enterprise. Bill Gates could fund it with pocket money and there are several others who could manage it without making a significant dent in their holdings. When private business takes over there will be more risks, more accidents and vastly more progress. It's time.
I hear you saying, "But it's so expensive? Why throw money into space when people are starving here?" Don't you realize that not one penny of the money spent on the space program goes into space? Not one cent is "thrown away." A few pounds of metal, plastic, fabric and gasses are sent into space. The money stays here in circulation.
Think about it. Where does the money go? It goes to pay the manufacturer who in turn pays the scientists, technicians, janitors, truckers, cafeteria staff, secretaries, materials suppliers, laborers, miners, chemists, doctors, insurance companies, phone company, electric company, water company, investors, creditors and so on and they all in turn pay whoever they require and all of them pay taxes. The earth will not miss the matter that leaves the planet and no money ever leaves so where's the problem? We have people who want to go, we have people who want to build the vehicles and the support industries could use the income so let's get with it. We're wasting time.
See you on the next page for more about chickens and do-gooders.