Thursday, April 10, 2008

Disingenuous scientists

I find it incredible that scientists often think they are so overwhelmingly valuable to society that they deserve the right to confiscate other's resources for their own uses. And even if their work results in some useful addition of knowledge to "society", whatever that may be, why then does it require the use of coercion?

Today I saw two articles that not only try and promulgate this scientific elitism upon people, but also contradict each other. BBC News reports that science funding is in a "precarious state". In particular, "a number of scientists said that astronomy was not being rewarded properly." Yeah, maybe in their view it isn't, but who is to judge? According to CNN, the average astronomer salary is a surprising $95,740. Honestly, unless you're saying they need to be paid less, how can this not be a proper reward?

Seriously, professors make a lot of money, compared to others who, on the average, must be subject to the market rather than state whim. And yet, in the BBC article a guy is quoted saying "If you cared about money you wouldn't be a scientist at all would you?"

C'mon, many people are losing their homes and livelihood due primarily to government intervention in the economy while these uppity state-funded scientists are sipping booze at 4 star restaurants while they wine-and-dine their associates, so I don't think they have anything to complain about.