I'm surprised by the reactionary tone from a journal like Nature. I would have much rather liked an appeal to the public showing data and analysis of what all of that science funding has accomplished for the people paying for it. Every American currently has well over $100,000 in government debt, and I think they want to get their money's worth.

I guess I'm a little biased - I used to run programs of scientists funded by government grants, and in my experience, they really excelled at pontificating and defending their territory.

My friends in academia often complain of the politics and inefficiency at colleges - they imply that science has become a leisure activity for kids of the wealthy. Being a scientist has jumped toward the top of the status tracks, and it has attracted types of people that seek out those tracks.