You are missing the point.

@GipsyOfNewSpain these people can spend their money however they want. Musk spending "his own money" for space exploration saves taxpayer money from going to that program. And the government money spent on the space program is lessened, in general, by private contractors like Falcon X and Blue Origin as they are not as costly as contractors like Boeing, Lockheed, etc., therefore, less taxpayer dollars. If you want to complain about billionaires getting tax cuts, find a better target than Musk; like the Koch Brothers. What are they doing to advance technology that's even remotely close to what Musk, or Bezos are doing? I think someone else is missing the point here. If you're really concerned about starving people, because that's what it comes down to, right? then stop locking up the food. Just let people have it. Why not? What's so hard about it. Just simply make food completely available to whoever needs it. There's a cause worth promoting. Yeah, I know, that's just an insane idea. It's much, much easier to complain about how billionaires spend their money. Well, we just have to vote those fuckers out of office next go round and get some humans in who give two shits about the less fortunate. Sorry for the rant, but I'm getting sick of seeing that meme everywhere, it's just a damn distraction. For the record, I think sending the car up was pointless.

Without military you can forget your dream of going to mars... all advances in technology must have a military application or are discarded. Even the creation of internet was nothing but a tool of communication of command and control when our satellites are destroyed by the enemy. Without the war machine there would had never be internet. Not that I am saying we need the military just saying that military use drives technology in today's world. Like you said... priorities.

@GipsyOfNewSpain I agree, the technology we enjoy found basis in military need to know BUT how many nukes do we need? Remember the toilet seats? There are whole graveyards of military planes some of which barely ever left the ground. Seems we throw everything at the wall, where military is concerned, to see what sticks. No bid contracts?!?!?! There is alot of waste, when there is no accountability tax payers take it in the shorts. WE can have both, I guess is what I'm saying, IMO.

@silverotter11 I was a contractor... the overhead is ridiculous. And government gets billed by the contract regardless of work get done or not. They say there is enough nuclears to destroy the planet at least 7 times. There is some misconceptions of civilians with a cost of a weapon platform but all research good or bad gets tagged along including those that do not work. Just to give you an example of the M1. the main feature of the M1 tank was the armor is customized to the enemy shells... well it was not created by americans was developed by the british but the british developed and found the uniqueness but couldn't use it because they had just rolled out a new type of tank so there will be no money for a newer tank in decades. the americans were looking for replacement for the M60 and that is how M1 came to be. You can say that it was expensive to get the technology from the british. And is a heavy. tank that may not go far in some city streets. Government everywhere is waste and abuse. My ex wife works in one of the few units that can say is self sufficient and their budget is not subject to any government budget so when federal government closes they continue operating. They just travel less to not annoy the other units. They inspect senior officer facilities over the whole world and the inspections are paid by whoever wins the contract to house the officers so she has been to japan, china, russia and every place were I was stationed including my Crete stomping grounds. A lot of waste in Government. look the salary of the senate and representatives... their pension, the money spent in security for the white house. A lot of fraud, waste and abuse.