NYT - U.S. Is Losing Its Dominance in the Sciences

[Burma Jones]

-snip-

Foreign advances in basic science now often rival or even exceed America's, apparently with little public awareness of the trend or its implications for jobs, industry, national security or the vigor of the nation's intellectual and cultural life.

"The rest of the world is catching up," said John E. Jankowski, a senior analyst at the National Science Foundation, the federal agency that tracks science trends. "Science excellence is no longer the domain of just the U.S."


-snip

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/03/science/03RESE.html?hp


This will, of course, be blamed on the NEA.

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Let's have some more of that old time religion!

This is a direct result of schools pushing creationism as a true science.

[DBoon]

2. Keep attacking the public education system

and this is what you get.

Starve primary and secondary, raise tuition for college so only the affluent can go to a state school, and here is the result.

[Brotherjohn]

3. (Social) Conservatives LOVE that headline. (n/t)

[Bill McBlueState]

4. another factor

It doesn't help either when people complain about the funding the science agencies receive. ("We spend x million dollars on NASA? We should spend that on homeless people!")

Maintaining US dominance in the sciences requires a substantial financial commitment.

(We can adequately fund the sciences *and* solve problems like hunger and homelessness.)

[Randers]

5. More effects of the tax cuts.

" In a report last month, the American Association for the Advancement of Science said the Bush administration, to live up to its pledge to halve the nation's budget deficit in the next five years, would cut research financing at 21 of 24 federal agencies ? all those that do or finance science except those involved in space and national and domestic security."

[KissMyAsscroft]

6. Tax Cut miracle...

Our dminance is being sunk so some asshole can have another yacht.

Ahh, the miracle of Bushonomics...

[tom_paine]

7. What a surprise...NOT!

Someday, if I have the time, I'll explain about my personal knowledge about why this is TRUE TRUE TRUE! At least in my little corner of the Science Game.

[Vitruvius]

8. See also the thread on LBN:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x526352

That thread has 67 responses & counting

[JHB]

9. When you eat the seed corn...

This is what we get for gutting basic research funding and letting corporations pick up the tab-- we lose ground on the basics, and applied science is bogged down in a molasses of proprietary claims.