Is this really new news? I mean, biotech? agribusiness? pharmaceutical industry? I know I should read the article, so I'll save the post and read it later - but I'm already really wondering . . . corporate welfare . . . is anyone really suggesting these billionaires are ready to dispense with their entitlement programs
Er, I really think you should read the article. It deals mainly with American Philanthropy and how, in coming years, it may take the place of government funded basic science. Not quite sure what you are getting at with this comment.
Lets see . . . Bill Gates [mentioned in the article] and Paul Allen - both of Microsoft, a company known for violations of anti-trust laws . . . Perelman, Black, Milken - a FELON, and Steyer all Wall Street players . . . is the lack of tax on Wall Street trading not a form of corporate welfare? Harold Hamm and David Koch both have their hands in oil, and indeed, the oil industry is famous for it's corporate welfare and I would suggest, rightly or otherwise that the Koch Machine depends on it In this age of Global Warming does it really make any sense at all that we will allow a small handful of billionaires to set science priorities for the entire United States? Because honestly, I don't think that it does . . .
Obviously you're not wrong when it comes to any of them, but Depends what you mean by 'sense'. The priorities come from the money, period. And I'd rather they be spending money on something science-related than just about anything else. I'll deal with conflict of interest and an utter moral void later.In this age of Global Warming does it really make any sense at all that we will allow a small handful of billionaires to set science priorities for the entire United States?
but the money is controlled by this select group of individuals - some of whom as has been noted are felons . . . Since they control the money, the way they choose to allocate it helps shape priorities . . . well, since you put it that way . . . The priorities come from the money, period.
And I'd rather they be spending money on something science-related than just about anything else.