@pluralistic " we can't settle space until we figure out the solutions to Earth's problems"
Why is everything framed in binary? We can do both at the same time and have been. Resources put towards going to space and landing on planets is nothing compared to how much is spent on exploiting and also dealing with the exploitation of earth.
Stripping away the romance of space seems like a deep mistake. Exploration is one of the great human endeavors? Solving problems pushes us forward