In infinite wisdom Joseph Lazio answered:

"R" == Rich  <someone@somewhere.com> writes:

R> In infinite wisdom Joseph Lazio answered:

R> How much debt are you willing to leave to your children to search
R> for SETI?

Please compare the Government budgets (...) for the defense-related

R> activities to those for SETI-related activities.

R> And what would be the point? Does irresponsible spending in one
R> area justify irresponsible spending elsewhere?

Of course not.

You're avoiding the key point, though.

Odd, I feel the same.

Without addressing whether astronomy is "irresponsible" or not,

The wording was "irresponsible spending". Can you see the
difference? Perhaps not.

spending on astronomy is small change. 

No, it is not.

Ceasing all Government spending on astronomy will have
essentially no impact on the rate at which the US national debt
increases.

Perhaps, but changing the process by which govt programs are
created and grow will. And unless this is done, astronomy
(which the Constitution grants the federal govt no authority
over) will fall the same as everything else when the debt
causes the collapse of the dollar and our ecomomy.

Rich