[Evenstar_342]

AudieMurphy, while I agree with you that the writer kinda went off on a tangent about Bush being "anti-rational". However, I think he does make a good point when he remarks that, "It would be absurd to blame a politician for a nationwide decline in scientific interest, but it stands to reason that a president elected, and then re-elected, must in some way embody the beliefs of the electorate—here, specifically, its prioritization of science."

I don't mean this as any sort of a political attack, and I don't want to offend anyone, but in the last election, or even this upcoming one, did you see any candidate even mention that America needs to focus on science and technology to continue our economic prosperity? No, instead everyone focused on what two men may or may not have been doing thirty years ago in relation to Vietnam. Who is responsible for that? I think he's right, in that its the American people's fault. When we, as an electorate, finally stand up and say "enough is enough", then the politicians will focus on science and technology education. This isn't going to happen either until there is another "Sputnik" or until FIRST and other organizations like it change the culture enough. The reason why, in my opinion, that there is no emphasis on science and technology education/awareness, is not a political problem, its an awareness problem.