Golden Tears

Expenditures for defense are, of course, justified by the Constitutional requirement to provide for the common defense. After 50 years in the nuclear and high technology age, America is still free of foreign domination by force. This fact is largely the result of defense research and development work by our scientists and engineers.

The usual critique of this expenditure involves its effects. Government research funds now have such an overwhelming influence in universities and other non-profit institutions that the private funds of those institutions are also spent in accordance with the wishes of a vast horde of politically correct government research bureaucrats. Intellectual freedom has accordingly diminished, output of new knowledge has been stunted, and the actual effect of that trillion dollars has been to retard overall research and development. The fact that pseudosciences like "global warming'' are now running rampant over the political landscape while most scientists are silent indicates how far we have descended as a result of government programs. America has created a giant welfare program for scientists. This welfare program has failed - just as the welfare programs for nonscientists have failed. The science and technology failure is more easily hidden because private enterprise has made substantial advances, which are incorrectly credited to government.

Scientists at universities and non-profit institutions have also made progress - although less than they would have made without the distortions caused by this welfare program. Without the free enterprise options that have been lost, even our Nobel Prize winners must waste much of their time pleading with bureaucrats for support - support that is only given for projects that these bureaucrats favor.

Inefficiency and ineffectiveness are, however, not the most compelling arguments. The fact is that it is morally wrong to steal the property of other people. Our government has no legal or moral justification for this theft. We would probably look with disfavor upon a scientist who obtained his salary and research funds from privately organized crime such as the Mafia - regardless of whether or not he did good scientific work. Why then do we not look with equivalent disfavor upon scientists who obtain their salaries and research funds from publicly organized crime in Washington, DC?

Part of the reason is that, in addition to scientists, a great many other Americans also receive money that they did not earn as a result of the plundering of their neighbor's property by government. In effect, we have all gotten used to living in a very high crime environment. We have stopped asking questions about morality and justice. We just accept the fact that thievery is all around us and spend our time trying to limit our own personal losses.

In addition, our vision is obscured by the torrential rain of tears that is shed upon us by those who receive portions of the tax collector's loot. These are very sensitive people. They implore us to: Consider the terrible suffering from cancer, heart disease, birth defects, and other maladies. Imagine those who have inadequate food or transportation and insufficient commercial opportunities. Even worse, visualize the suffering of animals, plants, and the environment and of people whose lives are miserable because they suffer psychologically for "planet earth.'' Most of all, consider the children.

No atrocity is so great that it cannot be justified by a river of crocodile tears shed for the children. Children must be free of disease, must be well fed, must be well educated, must be protected from violence (especially spanking and other forms of parental discipline), and must have a future. That future is too important to be left to their parents to build - it must be designed and built by politicians and bureaucrats who have the wisdom and sensitivity to do it correctly.