We are on the verge of crossing some irreversible thresholds. In a context in which most research is funded by awesomely powerful commercial enterprises caught up in an ever-accelerating, overheated global casino where nearly all aspects of life are commodified, it is hard to be optimistic. And yet we assume in other areas of life that we possess some free will. When the lion's share of a funding pie goes to high tech therapies while far less goes to low tech but often far more globally beneficial public health initiatives such as child nutrition programs, or billions go to develop and market toxic pesticides but virtually no funds go to help organic farmers, or zoning laws make suburban sprawl inevitable, these aren't self-generating phenomena. Someone exerted power.
Actual decisions shape our society.
This is not a Luddite perspective. Let's at least raise our voices and demand a real debate.