I have often thought that the search for knowledge should not just be an International effort based at NASA, but truly International with every country paying what it can for access to the knowledge and everyone sharing all the information. Not that that would ever happen because some knowledge would contain properties that different countries would take to other locations and explore on their own (think of the weapons they will make from new physical properties.)
And why would they do that? Why would no one be prepared to work as a species on any one area of knowledge like this? Because the knowledge out there is potentially powerful and everyone is angling for their own country over any other.
And the reason they angle for their own country and cannot see the greater idea of working for the whole human race as a race, is because we are taught allegiance to flags from baby hood. Reinforced by everything we do. Because sport, where we usually come together in a jamboree ‘as one world’, is nothing more that ritualised brainwashing. Countries don’t come together, they vie with each other. That’s the lesson.
And we take that lesson with us for a lifetime.