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What's happening inside the NIH and NSF

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261–270 of 1001 posts

Re: What's happening inside the NIH and NSF

#261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the "drops in the bucket" mindset is the problem, the federal government absurdly overspends and we've not had any serious politicians to address the issue. the interest on our debt is going to bankrupt us and there will be nothing left afterwards if these things aren't reeled in and examined. political opponents of the newly elected administration are obviously going to go fully hysterical over any change, they alre…

I feel like were on the same side but youre gonna need a (credible!) source that US govt money was funding virus research in China, that doesnt seem to pass the sniff test

is this sarcasm? it's been known for years and we got some more "official" info recently

this is the grant, but this was public info for years https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Year-...

Re: What's happening inside the NIH and NSF

#262
post #93

Part of me thinks this is just incompetence. People put in charge to "change" things without knowing what the thing is or does and just randomly mashing buttons.

He has 4yoe though. This is by design.

We all know years of experience doesn't always mean someone is qualified.

Re: What's happening inside the NIH and NSF

#263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing I find strange is that the other wealthy and powerful stand for the destruction of things that gave the US a huge competitive advantage. The average person isn't hit immediately by the destruction of science. But a far-sighted person with some power should by self-interest not want this. And this, I think, points to the corruption of the entire political class in America with just being upshot.

Yeah, Elon is mostly wealthy because of the USA and what is gave him. The fact he wants to destroy it seems seriously self-destructive.

[dead]

Re: What's happening inside the NIH and NSF

#264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Social security yes, but it seems to me that reducing the cost of Medicare and Medicaid should be very much possible. We need to provide healthcare but it should be possible to make that less expensive

Medicare would become cheaper tomorrow if the government would negotiate drug prices down. Trump isn't going to do that.

Or manufacture drugs themselves, and distribute "at cost".

Re: What's happening inside the NIH and NSF

#265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Social security yes, but it seems to me that reducing the cost of Medicare and Medicaid should be very much possible. We need to provide healthcare but it should be possible to make that less expensive

Im gonna start a downvote party on myself haha but here we go - if you want cheaper healthcare, get rid of the medical licence!! Let the free market work. Of course it wont be better but rich people will pay theough the nose for the top level of care, middle class will get the best care the market can provide for what they can afford and lower class will get someone regurgitating chatGPT - but it _will_ be cheaper. I…

Are medical licenses actually the cause of expensive healthcare?

Re: What's happening inside the NIH and NSF

#266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I contend that there existed too much incompetence across what the government has been funding. I’m looking forward to a ‘change’ for more competence, efficiency, innovation, accountability, etc

The process is the problem. There is no oversight and accountability for Musk and his "DOGE". That's pure poison to Democracy and to a functioning society. Musk is neither competent nor efficient. He looks at line items and makes stuff up. He destroys a hundred useful things to destroy a bad one. Details don't matter to him. Its the same con man mentality that feeds off the works of his workforce. People who think he…

Can you give specific examples to back up your comments about Musk? I am quite gullible otherwise.

Re: What's happening inside the NIH and NSF

#267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wrecked how? Fixed how? Can you describe either or are you just saying words?

US scientific research funding is largely driven by nepotism and favoritism. Insiders know but don't talk too much about it. They have a few options: a) just quietly stay in the system trying their best to do good work b) join the gravy train through social climbing c) quietly leave and move on with their careers.

Even taking this as true, and also taking it as true that we need to build a new research funding system from a clean slate to fix it - that can still be done in parallel while leaving the existing system in place! So as usual the effort of trying to discern some higher purposes is unwarranted, and the goal of these people is to just straight up destroy our country.

Re: What's happening inside the NIH and NSF

#268

I support scientific research of course but to play devils advocate, how can the USA afford this? They run a deficit and have an enormous debt. I dont understand how this can continously be ignored. Of course nobody wants cuts but how can it go on? Same with the foreign aid, isnt that something a country running a surplus should be worried about?

The US could pay its debt tomorrow, in full. We'd like to avoid that shock, if possible, but there's nothing uncreditworthy about running a fiscal deficit.

USG revenue/spending should be reasoned about in terms of the resources it directs, and the resulting effects on US and world GDP. Everything else is just accounting.

Re: What's happening inside the NIH and NSF

#269

[flagged]

What books did "they" burn? I'm asking about the actual books.

The proper response to scientific criticism is to archive what came before. This is a heavy handed attempt to remove from view science they don't agree with. This is not a 'removal of DEI from government' this is the attempted censorship they've said themselves they're doing away with.

Every accusation is a confession.

Re: What's happening inside the NIH and NSF

#270

I support scientific research of course but to play devils advocate, how can the USA afford this? They run a deficit and have an enormous debt. I dont understand how this can continously be ignored. Of course nobody wants cuts but how can it go on? Same with the foreign aid, isnt that something a country running a surplus should be worried about?

The US could pay its debt tomorrow, in full. We'd like to avoid that shock, if possible, but there's nothing uncreditworthy about running a fiscal deficit. USG revenue/spending should be reasoned about in terms of the resources it directs, and the resulting effects on US and world GDP. Everything else is just accounting.

Interest on debt is the second biggest line item in the budget (said someone else in this thread)
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