Space Shuttle Program

Aside from the obvious wrong reasons like greed, espionage and one- upmanship, tell me please, just why is space exploration so important? Important to whom? Not me. Assuming one day we can live on another planet, and it just happens to be everything earth was before we started destroying it, tell me, just what do you think is going to happen? My feeling is that the "haves" as usual will get to go and the old earth will simply be ignored and left to die; and with it the millions of have nots, who couldnt afford to escape to the new "better life".

Billions of dollars that could certainly be better spent are being wasted on space missions and failures, not to mention what it says about todays space engineers. I mean heck the shuttles failing are a new phenomenon; should we not look at those responsible for its building and question their ability?
i hope and pray for the safe return of those in Discovery, but it looks like anything but a sure thing

Anyone who favors the space program continuing please respond in the comments section. I really am open to this, its just that i cant see it myself

CHRONOLOGY-Key dates in US space shuttle program