Those bastards, we’ve got to cut them back 
Daniel S. Greenberg
Little is required to ensure political quiet in the American scientific community. A bit of annual growth in government outlays for research, presidential medal-pinning ceremonies in the Rose Garden for revered elders of the profession, and expressions of respect for science produce a wonderful tranquillising effect on the endless frontier. With rare exceptions, this combination has prevailed for most of the collaboration between science and government that began during World War Two.
Subscribers to the print edition can log in to view the entire article. For information about subscribing to the London Review of Books click here. This article is available for purchase online. Buy this article.
Daniel S. Greenberg is a guest scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington. He is the author of Science, Money and Politics: Political Triumph and Ethical Erosion.
print layout
tell a friend