Throwing Ripe Tomatoes at the Nobility

Speaking on condition of anonymity, for fear of retaliation, one of the nation's most respected forest scientists had this to say after reading, "Science Turns Authoritarian," a thought provoking essay that appeared in the July 27 issue of The American, a publication of the American Enterprise Institute.

"Great article and one I will forward to the forestry faculty here. Nothing like throwing a few ripe tomatoes at the nobility from time to time. The one thing the article does not do is explain the funding issue.

"Forestry research funding used to come primarily from the states, and was directed at problem solving. Now most of the funding comes from the federal government - with strings attached that control what research is to be done.

"Proposals get ‘peer' reviewed by other scientists who work on the same issues - who also use national meetings to get to know each other so that friendly groups can develop that give good reviews to each other's proposals.

"New graduate students are encouraged to attend these meetings in order to get to know the hierarchy, kiss a few derrieres and find their place. Ambitious forestry school deans push for such behavior from their faculty as they skim from such funding in order to justify their salaries, travel all around the world to attend ‘international academic brainstorming sessions,' see neat places and eat exotic food.

"The primary purpose of universities has changed from state service to self service. Worse, the federal agencies that determine where funding is directed - who gets money and who doesn't - used to be headed by career professionals with some objectivity. Not anymore. Now they are headed by political appointees who have pet agendas.

"There is a reason why most true scientific advances come during times of major calamity or war. People and governments simply don't have the luxury of screwing around. You have to get results or your country loses the war and you spend the rest of your days in the gulag - or worse.

"The best way to stay in business as a university professor in times of peace and prosperity is to predict the sky is falling and announce that you've found a solution - but require more funding to make sure the cure you think you have found will actually work. And if your cure fits with the current political mantra, there are politicians standing on every street corner in the land willing to throw taxpayer money at you."