During the McCarthy era of the 1950s, scientists were blackballed for leftish leanings. And during Nixon's reign, the White House science staff were abruptly fired en masse for alleged disloyalty to the paranoid Chief Executive. Nothing remotely as egregious has occurred under President George W. Bush. But as he begins the third year of his presidency, the science establishment is seething with feelings of injury and neglect in its dealings with the Bush administration. It's not about money for research. Bush has been fairly good on that score, and Congress even better. Rather, at issue are the heartfelt values and sociopolitical goals of the American science establishment: namely, its presumed rights to "speak truth to power", to foster international collaboration in science, and to promote arms control, environmental purity and egalitarian opportunity in education.
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