The USA spends 2.01 Trillion of its 6.1 Trillion USD budged on military annually. That’s roughly 1/3 of its cash. If I were to repurpose some money for other purposes, such as fixing the infrastructure, that’s probably where I’d start. Now, that’s probably an argument everyone has heard so many times, you’ll have gotten sick of it 20 years ago, but stricter regulations on taxation for ultrarich people, for example, would bring in more cash, and cracking down more on monopolies would help competition, ie. lead to more employment, and more sensible redistribution of money overall could help the environment, education and health of the people, and we wouldn’t have touched space programs yet.
Then there’s the argument that every Cent disappearing in private pockets, of which the overwhelming share (4.5 Trillion USD in the USA alone, as much as 2/3 of the country’s yearly budget) goes to its 735 billionaires, is money lost to people. There are many ways to get more money, distribute it more productively (as in: better education, healthcare etc) than stuffing the pockets of a handful of people who then spend it on leisure projects. Every 5th or 6th yacht could finance not only one, but at least 10 schools or hospitals, and every 10th mansion would be enough to run homeless programs or battle drug addiction.
The fraction of money spent on space is negligible. It also has a ROI and provides real advances in tech and produces high-value work and income for people (which in turn leads to additional income).
It’s really debatable if it’s wise to start with space programs when it comes to redistribute money. And that’s just the USA. Imagine the whole world came to its senses.
Progress in one field often results in progress elsewhere, too. Apart from that, people working on projects on the moon would probably do the same work here, just under less good circumstances. It really is not a question of “throw enough money/personnel at the problems”. What needs to be done on earth is very different from what’s going on up there.
I just listen. To the wind, the insects outside etc, but this requires some practice.