I disagree. Luckily for the human race, attitudes like yours have not historically won out, as we wouldn't have computers if people didn't "waste time and money" studying esoteric topics like quantum physics, and we wouldn't have satellite communication if not for the "useless" drive to reach into space, and we wouldn't be typing messages on this forum if not for the hypertext transfer protocol developed at CERN while searching for subatomic particles that had no perceived way to "help the world as we know it today".

Our drive to advance our understanding of the world around us is what sets us apart from animals. There is nothing more important. I'd certainly rather spend the money on a half-billion dollar research laboratory than on an auto company that was driven into the ground by mismanagement.