Maybe the future is not so bleak. Radical free trade/privatization (R&D was taxpayer funded)/asset sell-out policy is the one tried earlier in Russia under name of "shock therapy". It did lead to the lower standard of living (including much shorter life expectancy) for the general population and enrichment of the few reform minded oligarchs (super-thiefs).
The process of free market looting ended in a 1998 crisis when the financial system collapsed. It lead to the correction. Economical correction was done by free market itself when the devalued currency made it too expensive to buy imported goods. Political correction was stimulated by the NATO attack on Yugoslavia (NATO was emboldened by perceived Russian weakness) and by Islamofascist invasion of Dagestan combined with terrorist attacks all over Russia.
Now Russia is in relatively good shape and going forward. There is not reason why America which is much stronger would not come of analogical crisis regenerated.
Declining currency, growing discontent of the population and greater willingness to prosecute reform minded oligarchs are the early signs of coming correction. Who will be the American Putin is the question.
"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger."
(Nietzsche Twilight Of The Idols - 8)
Well I respect you notion But I go over th Russia quite often on business and let me tell you they are anything but in good shape. that is just PR. (this is another discussion) The concept of Government funding leading research it as old as research intself and legitmate as long as there is a payout to the country as a whole and there is a broad consensus on how to proceed. Our "trading partners" are doing so. You can take a libertarian tack but about 99 percent of the tech architecture that we have in this country have their roots in DOD, DOE, NSF, NASA/NACA or regulated semi-government institutions like the Old Bell Labs (which also got a lot of government monies.) We should go back to the old ARPA/DARPA model but apply it to civilian needs as well (actaully Bush's space initiative is pointing in this direction.) What is necessary is to understand that we are in and economic war and mobilize for it. We also must recognize the danger to liberty of "Globalism" and reject it.
Speaking of Gods. Isn't there something like - 'whom the Gods would destroy, they first made mad'?
Contributions from free traders have made the Bush Administration mad.
Not always. swampfox98