#Last Days
No, it hasn't been a waste of money, it's just not been what it could
have been. My mother lived 17 years after she was given less than 5 to live
almost entirely due to space medicine advances and that's just a small part
of the gains. The problem is, any program involving massive expenditures
that does not have immediate, easily shown major benefits to the average
person has to be sold either on fear (defense) or as a sporting event (and
when you win you go home).
Humanity will go into space eventually, and to stay. The question is one
of "when," and, of course, whether there will be any North Americans there.