Pollie, you shot yourself in the foot with your opening sentence.
" that the free market is the best driver of progress, provided that that market has integrity".
What makes you think that "the market has inegrity". Go and watch "The wolf of Wall Street"

David

...Pollie.

...Your talking to real people here Polli. Firstly, all markets in Capitalism are manipulated for a desired outcome! (eg. the classic of the housing market(what a sick f#$%’n joke is that one)). Your fanfare praise for research is “inductive hyperbole”!

...For a real time assessment of the value of research, why not present an excuse for the sqillions of research dollars sinking down the drain, with the squillions of research papers following down the same drain, never to be heard of again. That is the reality of research.

...Research is nothing more than jobs for the boys, and in the case of the Abbott medical research joke, so proudly propped-up with a seven dollar co-payment, paining the poorest the most, two dollars of the stolen money will immediately line the pockets of doctors, for no other reason than to buy silence! Are we that stupid?

...We don’t need more research mate, we need hugely LESS of it!

Diver Dan, you are the one not living in reality. Are you seriously stating that you think Australia would be better off significantly cutting research? If so, should we, in your opinion, have any research at all? If we are, who do you suggest defines research direction? Do you think Australia would have a globally competitive economy in 20 years if we cut research? These are all questions for you to consider rather than the rather simplistic statement you have made above.

po/quote..<<..Diver Dan,,,you are the one not living in reality.>>

SAYS THE DOTTY pot to the/AIR\kettle metal

<<..Are you seriously stating..>>that you think Australia would be better off significantly cutting research? >>

he just said so didnt he
I AGREE*..im sick of these studdies that return 30 FOLD NEW TAXES RETURN

YES ANOTHER TAX STUDDY
WE CANT READ BUT THAT PRIVATISES INFO TO THOSE IN THE KNOW

WE PAY FOR THEM TO KNOW
POLLIE Mate you and your pals gotta go

reveal the public paid studies to us paying for them

not inconfidence bull cra ppp

<<>..If so, should we, in your opinion.. have any research at all?>>

weneed sit back and ratify whats true and whats faulse
so much has been simplyaVIDEDLIKE REAL CURES/THAT DONT REAP ETERNAL REVENUE FOR SYMPTOM SUPPRESSING THE SYMPTOM/BUT comveniently never actually curing the disease

much sickness is from deliberate dietry poisening
simply vitamin depletion iodine/and

<<>.If we are, who do you suggest defines research direction?>>

i think school kids are best placed/each school tests double blind..true or faulse/both will be further funded\till the 3 rd school refutes it and all get a bonus[either wat]

<>> Do you think Australia would have a globally competitive economy in 20 years if we cut research?>>

we want life quaity
we are smarter/your wasting a huge first world brain trust[perfectly SUITED TO TEST OUT THEORY/AT REASONABLE SOPHISTICATED LEVELS UNCONCIEVED BY NARROw right winG NANNY STATE PANDERING TO THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMIATION

<<..These are all questions for you to consider rather than the rather simplistic statement you have made above.>>

NOW YOU*[WHAT..THATS THE BESTYOU CAN DO?]

...Listen carefully Polley...My lips are moving! You identify as a politician, you are the untrustworthy "one" by reputation, not me!

...My question is; If any industry presented such a huge litany of failures, as does the research "Industry", why would it not be abandoned for the failure it is?

...The ping pong ball is in your court!

So diver, where would you be without wifi? How about without semiconductors? How about without lasers? How about without GPS, satellite communications, I think you get the picture. So, you still think we should have no research?