I haven't said everyone should subvert their skillsets to the imlmediate task, however it might not be a bad idea if we took a few steps in that direction once in a while. The other result of the Cold War pissing contest were the Berlin Wall, the Stasi (whose tactics we've been enjoying so very recently again, see Snowden etc), the dividing of Yugoslavia and Tito's brilliant legacy, etc etc etc. So please don't come with a wound-closer: it's not worth the suffering, as far as I'm concerned. I have yet to read where in my previous posts I have been talking down on 'astronomy' or on your familiarity with the subject. I'm happy your dad landed himself a good job, same for your best friends' dad. Congratulations, I mean it. I don't know what 'my attitude' should be. Maybe feeling frustrated we're letting half the planet die and burn up because our scientists are allowed to examine comets instead of being funded to help and alleviate human suffering has something to do with it. Nobody is supposed to work for me, nor is it beneath me: we're back at the priorities-part of the discussion. I'm not suggesting the human race lacks the diversity, ingenuity, manpower and initiative to explore space and help the world. Far from it. Mankind merely lacks the will to do so. And that's disgusting.

It's not just worldhunger I'm talking about: I'm talking about the clean water, clean air, the non-GMO food, the non-radioactive regions etc etc. There are a lot of problems right now, maybe even more than we can handle, but to aim for the one that will hit us in the (far) future instead of tackling more pressing matters closer at hand does not justify the almighty hoopla Rosetta has stirred up.