No, the great citadel will not disappear tomorrow. It's the kind of edifice that will crumble slowly from neglect. In a fundamental way, science is a zero-sum game. If Americans don't make the discoveries someone else will. In a curious way, America's great scientific establishment created itself.
Science really has no organized constituency except itself.
Its modern roots go back no further than a half century. And no small part of its growth since then has been in super-secret weapons and related research. In short, the public knows little about its size, operating methods or even the direct benefits of science and engineering, except for a few highly visible aspects like the space program, medical research and popular programs that have captured the public's fancy, like astronomy and dinosaur research. But things have changed in recent years, as Washington has become increasingly budget conscious. With a small natural constituency, no spare cash, feeble organization, and little experience in the rough and tumble of Washington politics, science is justifiably worried that it is in a losing game.