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to the extent that the GOP favors a smaller government (and though they say this, they don't actually do so, but that's a different discussion), this would make

by araneae 16y ago

to the extent that the GOP favors a smaller government (and though they say this, they don't actually do so, but that's a different discussion), this would make one expect that those against such governmental funding would be morally bound to find other means of employment. I can support this with anecdotal evidence. I have a friend who got his Ph.D. in physics, but decided to work outside of academia. His primary reason for this was that he felt that as a libertarian it would be immoral for him to take government money. He currently works at Intel.

evgen 16y ago
Yeah, but it wasn't too immoral for him to take advantage of government funded university research labs in order to get that Ph.D. in the first place, right? Once he no longer needed the government's money he was free to let his strong moral position take over, but up until that point I am sure the cognitive dissonance was keeping him up at night...
- CWuestefeld 16y ago
  What's with all the vitriol in your two replies? It seems like you're awfully eager to put words into people's mouths, and to stereotype a large portion of the country in a single stroke. There may be parts of your argument that are worth discussing, but you make it difficult to ferret them out from all the anger. You know nothing of the parent post's friend. How can you make such bald assertions?
- araneae 16y ago
  Your tone is rather aggressive. Why is that? In fact, it did keep him up at night that his lab was receiving grants from the government. That's why he ultimately made the decision he did. It's impossible for someone to be completely moral with their money. All of us on H.N. have paid taxes that at some point went to pay for something that we disagree with morally. All of us have purchased a product from a company that has probably done something we find immoral or given money to someone who has. It's not shameful to pay your taxes because you like not being in prison. Self-preservation is not a bad thing. But nor is trying to put your money where your mouth is, either.
quanticle 16y ago
Libertarian doesn't automatically mean Republican, though. Again, speaking anecdotally, I know of a fair number of libertarians who switched party affiliations when the Patriot Act was passed, and the Bush Administration started its warrantless wiretapping program (a program that the Obama administration has sadly continued).
- hugh3 16y ago
  Anecdotally it seems that most of the Libertarians who switched their party affiliation to Democrat while Bush was in power switched it back to Republican once Obama came into power and managed to keep up all Bush's objectionable policies while adding a whole bunch of his own. I am reminded of the old joke about the man who goes to hell and is given a choice of two rooms in which to spend all eternity. In the first, everybody is forced to stand on their head for all eternity, groaning uncomfortably with the strain. In the second, everybody is standing around knee-deep in poop, but they're also drinking coffee, eating biscuits and chatting. After thinking long and hard, he eventually chooses the second room, but the moment after he walks in a voice comes over the intercom "OK, coffee break's over, everybody back on your heads."

by araneae 16y ago

evgen 16y ago

Yeah, but it wasn't too immoral for him to take advantage of government funded university research labs in order to get that Ph.D. in the first place, right? Once he no longer needed the government's money he was free to let his strong moral position take over, but up until that point I am sure the cognitive dissonance was keeping him up at night...

CWuestefeld 16y ago
What's with all the vitriol in your two replies? It seems like you're awfully eager to put words into people's mouths, and to stereotype a large portion of the country in a single stroke. There may be parts of your argument that are worth discussing, but you make it difficult to ferret them out from all the anger. You know nothing of the parent post's friend. How can you make such bald assertions?
araneae 16y ago
Your tone is rather aggressive. Why is that? In fact, it did keep him up at night that his lab was receiving grants from the government. That's why he ultimately made the decision he did. It's impossible for someone to be completely moral with their money. All of us on H.N. have paid taxes that at some point went to pay for something that we disagree with morally. All of us have purchased a product from a company that has probably done something we find immoral or given money to someone who has. It's not shameful to pay your taxes because you like not being in prison. Self-preservation is not a bad thing. But nor is trying to put your money where your mouth is, either.

quanticle 16y ago

Libertarian doesn't automatically mean Republican, though. Again, speaking anecdotally, I know of a fair number of libertarians who switched party affiliations when the Patriot Act was passed, and the Bush Administration started its warrantless wiretapping program (a program that the Obama administration has sadly continued).

hugh3 16y ago
Anecdotally it seems that most of the Libertarians who switched their party affiliation to Democrat while Bush was in power switched it back to Republican once Obama came into power and managed to keep up all Bush's objectionable policies while adding a whole bunch of his own. I am reminded of the old joke about the man who goes to hell and is given a choice of two rooms in which to spend all eternity. In the first, everybody is forced to stand on their head for all eternity, groaning uncomfortably with the strain. In the second, everybody is standing around knee-deep in poop, but they're also drinking coffee, eating biscuits and chatting. After thinking long and hard, he eventually chooses the second room, but the moment after he walks in a voice comes over the intercom "OK, coffee break's over, everybody back on your heads."