in the you-reap-what-you-sow department...

[AgentLadyBug]

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


"U.S. Is Losing Its Dominance in the Sciences


The United States has started to lose its worldwide dominance in critical areas of science and innovation, according to federal and private experts who point to strong evidence like prizes awarded to Americans and the number of papers in major professional journals."

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fuckin republicans wanted a stupid america, they're gonna hafta deal with the consequences of it before too long....

[AP]

1. The Republicans wouldn't fund public education in the US until the 50s

when they saw the USSR moving far ahead the US in the sciences.

The Republicans rightly feared that an educated working class would create a politically powerful middle class, which would result in people asking for more democracy.

However, competition with a socialist country which did educate everyone forced America to do the same.

Republicans have been trying to climb down from public education ever since the cold war ended (actually, ever since the 70s).

They don't care so much about America not being first in sciences, so long as it means lower taxes for rich corporations. However, if it ever threatens national security, they might change their minds. Unfortunately, today, we comepte with countries which educate people in poorly funded religious schools, so I wouldn't expect a revived commtittment to public education from Republicans any time soon.

[ugarte]

2. When all our research $$ go into new ways of killing people

what do they expect? As long as we have cutting-edge lethality, the right wingers will sleep happily.

[daa]

3. I cannot imagine how anyone would be surprised

at this. Other countries invest in their OWN countries while the repukes give tax breaks to move everything offshore. They jack up tuition, cut student loans and then wonder why we lost the edge.

It is naive to think that only the "workers" are smarter than our workers without realizing that their managers might be a little smarter also.