Through most of the 1990s, when things really weren't that bad, we saw all sorts of hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth about declining budgets, and even some thoughts that the scientific community might have to change some day. But now, when things look at least as bleak as ever, there is a kind of euphoria.
Scientists seem to think everything is taken care of.
But that emotional reaction is at least as misguided as the earlier one. Obviously the scenario wasn't entirely rosy even then. Indeed, science fared much better than other areas of domestic discretionary spending. And that happened even though any kind of political science analysis would lead you to believe the opposite would occur. After all, the scientific community does not function like a typical, successful interest group.