Subject: Re: Reversion to .....mean? S&P?
A fun question to ask: just what spending cuts would you recommend to such a relative that would seem like crazy counterproductive spending cuts if the relatives had, say for example's sake, no credit card debt?

And from there, a comparison of how being disinvited to a graduate program because of a loss of research funding would compare to the kinds of things we might imagine happen if we continued driving the bus towards the cliff for another 6 months, another year, whatever.

Ralph,

I generally enjoy and rec your comments. But I'm damned if I understand your point on this one. Reducing spending on science is the way to solve our national debt problems?

None of these kids - my granddaughters or her boyfriend - depended in any part on government support for their educations.

The only part the government funded was their ability to participate in meaningful research on a subject pretty important to the well being of us all. So the government maybe saved some money? There was no indication that the research cut-offs were related to the subject of the research projects. They were simply part of a wholesale cutoff of government participation in academic research - no study, no questions, just fire without aiming.

In turn, they lost the unpaid participation of of some very good minds. And threatened their ability to further their future education? It isn't the ability of the two families to fund the educations without government help. It's the reduction in opportunities to do so. We've checked - the reductions in college admissions are real. Is this the way to progress our nation in one of the increasingly few areas where we still lead? Reduce the supply of those who can provide such leadership going forward? Not that they can't pay or succeed - just no rooms available.

The bus wasn't driving towards a cliff in science until this administration. Now it is - without a driver. A more serious cliff, part of a process that has shaken the world economy.

National debt is a very serious problem. Idiotic actions aren't the way to address it.