If being great is valuable, and exploring space makes us great, and being broke prevents us from exploring space (thus being great) stop those things which make us broke. Unless of course, we can achieve the same valued greatness (vis a vis other cultures) by not exploring space.
This begs the question...does it matter who does it?
American enthusiasm for the space program was not for nothing.
Nothing is great when you're broke except doing the things that keep you from financial ruin. That is our reality until we manage to dig ourselves out of the hole we are in. I realize that in the age of Obama this may seem like some sort of pipe dream but when the bills become due our creditors won't be wearing the same set of rose colored glasses. We're broke, as in out of money for anything but servicing our debt. Do you have some sort of logical explanation that can claim otherwise?