Is this really the best use of our money right now?

We must really be in trouble as a country to hear me advocating for spending cuts in NASA (National Air and Space Association). Obama announced a large cut in NASA spending along with other programs and at the same time cancelled the Constellation project, a rejuvenation of the program that sent astronauts to the moon. Neil Armstrong and others have criticized this for their own personal reasons and the steep price we would have to pay another nation to send humans to space. It is also a good way to develop technology for civilian uses.

Let me assert that I think spending cuts alone are a terrible idea. We already have a very small government compared to GDP, and much of it is defense anyway. Spending 17 billion dollars a year on funding the exploration of space sounds great when your country is the sole superpower, at peace abroad, and going through an economic boom; but is a complete waste of scare funds when the economy is facing a massive structural shortfall, China is threatening our international power, and we are bogged down in two Middle Eastern wars.

Tying this back into my general theme, I don't think we should cut the budget out entirely. Nor do I think we should simply cut the budget and stop there. What should happen is a transfer of spending away from NASA and to areas that will more accurately reflect the challenges we face as a nation.

NASA spending is 0.52% of our budget. Don't even get me started on defense spending.