We're lucky we're getting as much done in space as we are.
The hard fact is that a space program is a taxpayer-supported luxury, available only to nations with a lot of "surplus" wealth. Of course I'm conflicted on this. I love the idea of space probes to all the planets, and manned flights to the Moon and Mars. Hell, I'm currently living off of work I'm doing for NASA. But that doesn't change the basic philosophical and budgetary facts.