Noting that the Congress cut funding for the National Science Foundation at the same time it increased funding for abstinence education, and found more money for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Anthony comments that “the next Einstein is not likely to be an American.”

Of course, the last Einstein wasn’t exactly an American either. But that only illustrates a larger point: Not only did the US benefit from providing the support necessary to train the best and brightest of our native born to be the scientific, technical and industrial leaders of tomorrow. We also benefitted greatly by attracting the best and brightest from other countries fleeing mediocre institutions and oppressive governments.

How much longer is that going to last with Bush and his kind diverting money from programs like the NSF, which among other things, really helped make the Internet mainstream by funding internet availability to all undergrads in the early 90s, in order to fund mis-guided and mis-managed wars, and in order to pour tax dollars into the coffers of fundamentalist pig-brained religious organizations?