If we’re not pursuing ventures on the moon and beyond then none of the rest matter. There is no pressing priority higher than survival. Here try out this sentence:
“Finally in 2120 we got our house in order and solved the [your pet issue here] problem, then the asteroid hit”.
If we don’t get off the rock we’re just re-arranging the deck chairs. It is inevitable that something bad will happen and we will no longer be able to live here. Asteroids, solar storms, poll reversals, ice ages, the sun just plain turning off; all of these WILL happen eventually, maybe sooner, maybe later, but the question is entirely when not if. There is an expiration date, we can either find a way to survive it, or try to take comfort that at least we lowered the national debt before it all ended.
Too late.
We lose the moon on October 5, 2017.
See “The Aftermath” section of the article at http://october-5-2017.com
That all sounds great and your argument has merit, but the debt isn’t the only issue. This country is currently becoming occupied by foreign invader, the terrorism threat grows daily, and its present political trajectory is one toward fragmentation and national obliteration. That should be a far more urgent concern than the infinitesimally minute chance of being struck by an asteroid.
Like you said.. nothing is a higher priority than survival.. and rolling the dice on a moon village venture for a tiny, UN-chosen part of the world’s population belongs in the realm of fantasy.