The new world
Listening to “all things considered”, public radio, there was a segment debating the issues surrounding research. At issue was a pill developed and now being tested for gay men to fight off getting AIDS from so-called “risky behavior”. Of course there were battle-lines drawn between those that would not use tax-payer dollars to make unsafe sex safe, and those who thought government had a mandate to solve any problem life comes up with.
Again, the mashine, the government takes on the position of presenting a problem, issuing a solution and then keep the people busy with dialogue about ehics, public health, religious beliefs, political agendas – but never is there any debate over why our government is involved in reseach and science in the first place.
In a free society, a disease may ravage a segment of the population, in this case from engaging in certain behavior. While, as with AIDS it first takes the population by surprise, then the reactions start, and soon some individuals will form a will to make a difference, form an organization or pitch a pharmacutical company and eventually come up with a cure. If money can be made by curing, then the free market will find one. When a government gives money for research it is slow and marred with everyone having an oppinion. There a many issues in life, so how does govenment decide which should be investigated with tax dollars?
When the AIDS eppedemic started it was a darn good time for many to re-evaluate what kind of activity was an authentic celebration of life and which was just a thrill for the sake of entertainment. Since I don’t believe in the man-made-disease-plot, it looked to me like Nature was saying something and perhaps many now were forced to listen.
But the government does not listen, it only tries to expand by claiming to fix issues individuals don’t want to deal with. Hence money for reseach so gays can have more fun and less risk.
The constitution mandated the central government to only run national defense, (and some interstate-commerce issues) – not to fund science research, schools, hospitals, libraries, roads, banks, factories and public education.
