Subscribe!Some believe that the end of American dominance in the world is coming to a close. The view that the rest of the world has of America has suffered greatly during the Bush administration. The inability to bring the Iraq war to a close, the hypocrisy in attempting to destabilize a democratically elected government (the current Hamas government of Palestine), flagrant violations of human rights (denial of habeas corpus to Guantanamo Bay detainees), as well as violations of the civil liberties of American citizens (NSA phone spying) are all clear signals that the United States does not practice the ideals for which we claim to stand. From the outside it is likely very easy for the United States to be viewed as a paranoid and crumbling empire. Given these arguments, it seems that any more evidence is just redundant. What else could possibly be as threatening to our way of life?
How about restrictions on intellectual pursuits? It seems that our leaders are more interested in meddling in the personal affairs of citizens and infusing religion into government (such as defining marriage as only the union of one man with one woman) than ensuring we remain a world leader in science and technology. It took a full four months (March 2006) after our National Science Foundation (NSF) research funding period ended (November 2005) for the renewal to finally be reviewed and approved, despite submitting it in July 2005. Other research groups have had similar problems getting NSF renewals. The reason were budget cuts, cuts "made necessary" by spending on the wars and tax cuts. Pre-Bush such lags never occurred. We were hamstrung for funds during that period and it made it very difficult for us to carry out our research. Some senior students had to teach, diverting much attention away from research and others had to move to non-NSF projects.
Who cares if two people want to get married and they happen to be of the same sex? What harm is it going to do? That is a matter that should be between them, their God, and their church. Government has no business meddling in personal belief systems. However, it does have a major effect on our progress as a nation if scientists cannot receive research funding. But does it stop there?
No, even amateur scientists are having difficulty carrying out their research. Due to the rise of methamphetamines, chemicals and equipment that could be used to synthesize meth have faced restrictions. After the Oklahoma City bombing, materials that could be used to produce explosives have been severely restricted. Anyone who needs any of these items face scrutiny and an undue burden in attempting to obtain them. All because these things could be used for nefarious purposes. Such restrictions only serve to retard the progress of scientific research in our country and to stifle scientfic creativity. Such architects of the modern world as Intel cofounder Gordon Moore, internet innovator Vint Cerf, Hewlett-Packard cofounder David Packard, and neurologist Oliver Sacks all cut their scientific teeth experimenting with chemicals at home. Current restrictions make repeating the childhood memories of these innovators just that, memories.
What does all this mean? It means that the current fearmongering that the government is utilizing to restrict our freedoms is also restricting our ability to remain as a world power in scientific research, progress, and innovation. The paranoia that has gripped our society and perpetuated by the government is a true epidemic. And if we don't wake up soon and realize the error of our ways the United States will cease to be relevant in the future of the world.
