[thackney]

Why else would we so overtly NOT drill what we have?

Have you ever read Michael Crichton's "State of Fear"?

There is an amazing number of people that believe they know what is "best" for "those other people". And far too many of them get elected to positions of power.

It can be rather amazing in hind sight what sounded "right" to people back in history.

Why Politicized Science is Dangerous
http://www.michaelcrichton.net/essay-stateoffear-whypoliticizedscienceisdangerous.html

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

Why Politicized Science is Dangerous

Also see Eisenhower's Farewell Address 1961:

Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers. The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present -- and is gravely to be regarded. Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.