‘Curiosity’: a capitalist toy?

E-Paper | June 10, 2026

WHAT if there was a little green being on Mars that sneaks by and throws a rock at ‘Curiosity’ -- the $2.5bn capitalist toy made to find life on the red planet. Will the next Curiosity edition be equipped with a weapon? Imagine if Curiosity sends back pictures of a pool of diamonds, surrounded by little green beings who do not welcome ‘foreign’ machines on their landscape. Will the next mission include a drone cover?

Whereas the presence of this little green being on Mars, throwing a rock, living by a pool of diamonds may sound like a far - fetched and hilariously childish imagination. The $2.5bn figure spent on this project is a fact, good for what?

How many lives could have been saved here on earth with this figure? How many starving beings could have been given another morsel, to keep them alive? How many taps could have provided water that doesn’t stench?

What makes the desire to chase an answer to a query worth more than the lives which could have been saved or improved?

What is it that justifies, legalises, obliges pride, and fans competition for such endeavours that billions are spent on it in utter disregard of the fact that the same amount could have been better spent elsewhere?

The answer is capitalism, and man's opinion that he can exclusively legislate best for himself and the rest.

SHARIQUE NAEEM Lahore

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SSA

Aug 16, 2012 09:32am

This Adventure provided Jobs to many persons that may include some Pakistanis.

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Cyrus Howell

Aug 16, 2012 02:54am

How many starving beings did not ask to be on this earth? Why do women want children if they cannot give them a life? Capitalism is not about legislation. It is about the avoidance of taxation by any means possible.

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maysam

Aug 16, 2012 05:19am

the money is still on the earth and doing its job on the earth. that is only transferred from a company to many individuals and other companies. Some material and energy has left earth toward the Mars that is not so important! but the money is still here within us. they could distribute it in hospitals or water resources or on airspace engineers! every year 5b$ is spending on cancer only by US government. It was time for some engineers to get some.

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Fuhrer

Aug 16, 2012 07:27am

Nonsense America is not responsible for all the misery the world have.

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Alapan

Aug 16, 2012 07:53am

Humanity is defined by Curiosity - to learn, to know what is beyond the horizon. That is what defines our creation. We are explorers by nature. Space is our next frontier. No amount of money should stop us from finding what is out there. And science has never been weighed against money. Nothing in the world was invented or discovered with certain goal in mind. Read about how Penicillin was discovered. And also, it may so happen that humanity will have to move out of this planet or we will have to get resources from other planets as our natural resources are depleting very fast. Now this may sound as science fiction, but remember 100 yrs ago, things like satellites or mobile phones all were science fiction. So we cannot say what will happen 100 yrs from now. Then, dont you think we owe our next generation to continue research into space exploration which our previous generation had started. And coming to the price tag, so if 2.5 Billion $ is a high price, may be we stop building mega mosques or temples or churches which costs millions of dollors, huge land. To me space exploration trumps religion.

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Junaid

Aug 16, 2012 08:11am

yet they consider themselves responsible for maintaining "world peace" and for "bringing democracy to people"

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suryhyd

Aug 16, 2012 05:47pm

>> better spent elsewhere. i believe this is the best way to spend the fund. 1000's of scientists, engineers, technicians etc have been prevented from poverty & starvation. what exactly did you want ? feed only the uneducated poor ? Going by the way humans are recklessly breeding despite not being able to feed already born humans, there is going to be no end to this "feeding-the-hungry" business. and yes, maysam put it perfectly. the 2.5 Bn $ cash has not been hurled at mars ;-)

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Ruhan Khan

Aug 16, 2012 11:07pm

Nonsense article!

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Gazanfar

Aug 17, 2012 01:41am

Is the computers, internet, mobile Phones, Airplanes, TV, Telephone, Electricity, Air condition, Cars, train and many more products which you and I use not American/European/Capitalist made? They are the ones who invested time, money, energy and resources to discover, invent and innovate. While what did you and I d0? I Support "Curiosity" because its a mission to seek and discover. Its a wonderful opportunity for man to understand other planets. So stop complaining.

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