Technology, Innovation, and Spaceports

I just recently read an article on a spaceport that is being built in New Mexico.  The only reason I came across it is because it is currently related to our economic situation in this country.  It appears that after years of recieving public support from the taxpayers of NM, the governor is now trying to privatize it and remove it from the taxpayers influence and funding.  This is the type of project that our country and others needs to invest more resources in.  During the boom of space exploration during the 50's and 60's, we as a country were united behind a specific goal to reach the moon.  We got there and in the process developed some of the greatest technology of the past century, velcro, plastics, food preservation, etc.  Since then, funding has languished as has our spirit of innovation and creativity.  There was a time, stemming from the moment this country was created, when we were a bastion of creativity and innovation, pumping out the light bulb, record player, motion pictures, the modern automobile and assembly line.  We have since stagnated, reliquishing funding for such projects and instead delegating it towards military conquests and medicinal research.  While we have reached some breakthroughs in these fields, they pale in comparison to what was achieved prior.  Instead of focusing our resources towards new technology and innovations, whether they be green technologies or outright beneficial inventions, we instead consistently send the money overseas to be spent on military efforts (most of which result in excessive collateral damage) and countries we deem to be allies (look at the 2 billion we send annually to Pakistan).  We need to focus instead on projects such as the spaceport in NM.  This project could represent a new frontier in space exploration and innovation.  Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic are already promising space flights out of the spaceport in NM.  Will they be expensive at first?  Absolutely with the price around 200K for a 4 hour flight.  But as with all technologies, the more it improves, the cheaper it will become.  I am fervent advocate of space exploration; one reason being our current rate of population growth in the world.  If we proceed at our given rate of growth without improvements in the technology of growing food and sustaining our population, we will exceed our resources.  We will need alternatives and we are not investing enough time or money in finding what will work best.  The international space station receives very little attention these days and is growing more obsolete by the day.  Yet we continue to waste our money on killing others or trying to eek out the last available resources from our fragile planet.  (Is there any real difference between us invading countries and killing their citizens or Qadaffi killing his own?)  We need to join together, pool our remaining resources, and rejuvate the spirit of discovery and exploring new frontiers.  Without doing this, we will be doomed to failure and all the innovations of the past will have been for naught.  Take a stand against this waste of money, after all, our tax dollars go towards funding it.  If we don't, then we only have ourselves to blame.  Until next time, waste a little less and lets get ourselves back on track.