This may be a hard pill to swallow, but science isn't a "more is better" game. It ultimately requires being embedded in a culture that, to quote Popper, "seeks

This may be a hard pill to swallow, but science isn't a "more is better" game. It ultimately requires being embedded in a culture that, to quote Popper, "seeks truths that are difficult and interesting". From that view, the problem for US scientific efforts is entirely home made, but it's also a problem that's much more pronounced in China.