"Consumers want high tech industrial products first, then they demand "services." such as: health insurance, child care, education, pensions, stock funds, insurance, ect." ~ Social Problems in Global Perspective
This quote is bad for space habitation. First, it shows the short term nature of decisions the consumer makes. The people we have to convince for space habitation to get off the ground are mostly consumers. All the services listed above and be defined as long term investments. Basically, the consumer doesn't make long term investments. Space habitation would be the ultimate long term investment; the biggest long term investment humanity has ever made. Furthermore, if consumers don't see the value in basic insurance, then any argument for space habitation that using human extinction will be ineffective.
Second, it shows the lack of attention to education, which will be a very critical part of a spacefaring society. If people want to buy and iPhone before they want to buy a book, we can't possibly hope to generate enough skilled labor and Engineers to take on space habitation.
Reactions
-Is it good people are focused on high tech industrial products first? Can't that focus be used to get kids excited about science, technology, math and engineering?
Resources
Glassman, Ronald M., William H. Swatos and Barbara J. Denison. Social Problems in Global Perspective. Maryland: University Press of America, 2004.
In Case You Skimmed
-Consumers are focused on toys more then the future, thus it will be hard to convince them to support any long term or multigenerational plan.
