Again the fear is the same, they might, sure! Do they have the expertise for space travel? I'd there enough gold left for them to re-learn it? Do they have the tech to go nuclear before they run out of the gas to build the plants?

Space is "the enemy gate is down" it's an instant win once we manage to mine and asteroid that has more gold on it than has been mined in all human history. That's Elon's play imo, transhumanist that he is. Everything he does is in service to that, because in his mind that's the do or die condition, either he gets to space in time or humanity dies on a mud rock. And with those stakes, nothing else really matters to much.