I'd strongly agree with at least three statements.

First, the decision to allocate the necessary resources is a political decision - only governments can raise that much money.

Second, it can only be done in an "us against them" milieu. That's all that will energize the public. (And the public seems to love an "us v. all the evil on Earth" scenario.)

Right now the treasury is being spend on tax breaks for the wealthy and trying to combat others terrorism with conventional military means.

That's short-run. In the longer term, the deficits which are being run up in staggering amounts will need some attention. That would suck up money available to some future fiscally responsible administrations.

And I'd add a couple of personal observations.

If we can't make/keep this Earth liveable, we can't "terraform" anywhere. Billions of years of evolution have very finely attuned our organisms to these conditions. We have oxygen, we have water, we have the temperatures we need.

If this place "went", we'd never be able to supply ourselves what a society needs without a very, very similar place. I think we take the hospitality of the Earth way, way too much for granted.

And last I don't believe our species has the societal resources to man a long space mission. Can't get along well enough long enough to get anywhere. Need to fight someone, and if we can't find them outside the tent, we find them inside.

Interesting discussion you had. Thanks for posting it.

Arf