Seems like the material human cost of space travel never even occurs to them. The poor indigenous people who mine the precious metals and iron etc. that make the spacecraft, the massive costs of feeding and housing all the engineers and scientists working on Musk's futile vanity project -- none of that is even on their radar. They reason that because SpaceX is more efficient and cost effective than Boeing/Lockheed/Northrop that Elon deserves all the praise in the world. In their eyes, Elon is "selflessly" dedicating his time and money to "saving" the human race by making it multi-planetary. The OP calls anti-Elon people "cultural authoritarians" fueled by "billionaire-hate" who want us to be "imprisoned on this planet forever".
Imprisoned on this planet???????
Are you fucking kidding me? Every good thing a human being could possiby want is on this planet. What's on the moon? Grey rocks. What's on Mars? Red dust. There's nothing out there. There's really nothing in space worth having. If you're not happy on earth, that's not a problem with earth, that's a problem with you (or the social or economic structure around you). Moving to a new planet is not going to solve your self esteem problems. That whole thread is just full of so much bullshit.
STEM is just the nerdy wing of fascism. I guess.
Dr. StrangeBro's right arm rolls his wheelchair backwards. He struggles with wayward right arm, ultimately subduing it by beating it with his left hand.
Dr. StrangeBro: "When we go to Mars everyone would still be alive. There would be no shocking memories, and the prevailing emotion will be one of nostalgia for those left behind, combined with a spirit of bold curiosity for the adventure ahead! Ahhhh!" His right are reflexes into Nazi salute. He pulls it back into his lap and beats it again. His gloved hand attempts to strangle him.
General Turgidson: "Doctor, you mentioned the ration of ten women to each man. Now, wouldn't that necessitate the abandonment of the so called monogamous sexual relationship, I mean, as far as men were concerned?"
Dr. StrangeBro: "Regrettably, yes. But it is, you know, a sacrifice required for the future of the human race. I hasten to add that since each man will be required to do prodigious... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual characteristics which will have to be of a highly stimulating nature."
It is by design too in the US, if even academia catches wind of you being remotely left and if you're even in a soft STEM (god help you if you made this error in a hard stem, your days on earth are limited) and remotely left you get your ass blacklisted at a minimum. Also, operation Paperclip, enough said.