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Comment by q_andrew | Hacker News Reader

This is so disappointing. The closest thing we ever discovered to life on other planets and the US won't even put 0.5% of budget towards retrieving it.

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That would be a MASSIVE portion of the budget for a single discretionary item.

I guess I should clarify, I meant 0.5% to NASA in general. Right now it's 0.33%. In 2002 it was 0.72%.

The article says $11 billion. That’s ridiculous.

…ridiculously low compared to a Defense budget of $1500 billion? Agreed.

I’d rather have a defense system over space junk.

And now you have none.

What kind of defence system is to start wars with countries that don't pose any threats on you?

And Europe is even worse, it's embarrassing.

We cannot cancel anything ever because each program is only 0.001% of the federal budget. To do so would be stingy.

Or we could look at the utterly stupid things, like maybe stop having a failed war in Iran, and just not pay for those? Thats a very big chunk of budget. As a bonus it would bring gas prices down, reduce future spending in VA and other combat veteran costs, and just possible help make the case for reducing the size and expense of our military (while still maintaining the 2 largest air forces in the world).

That'd be a strawman.

What makes you think the poster you responded to agrees with the Iran war expense? He simply commented on how difficult it is to cut anything from the Federal budget. He's right. Remember when all the lunatics were out keying Teslas a few short months ago?

No, its not a strawman. Cutting tiny things from the budget to save money when there are big obvious wastes right out in front is fucking stupid. Complaining about how hard it is to cut tiny things from the budget when there are giant obvious wastes out in front is equally as stupid.

If you want to seriously affect the budget, go for the things that burn large piles of money first.

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