Quit Nationbuilding with US Taxpayer Funds

    In an open letter to Congress, I recently called on Congress to fund an increase in scientific capability within the State Department, in order to improve the negotiation capability of State Department officials with other countries. I simultaneously suggested that no funding should be allowed for use of such scientific capability in nation building and also requested the elimination of special funding for scientific programs already in existence with several foreign countries.
    I now have additional information from an article by Rovner and Tremblay in the May 13 issue of Chemical and Engineering News.
    The Department of State's Building Opportunity Out of Science & Technology program has granted the American Chemical Society $198,000 for science advancement in foreign countries. In addition, the department has funded four other "boost" projects that are being spearheaded by US universities. All of the projects are based in Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Tunisia, or Turkey.
    While the $198,000 grant does not sound like much money, we don't know how much the other projects are or what will be added in the future. In either case, this is what I have been objecting to. Spending money, which we don't have in order to promote science in foreign countries is a nation building operation under the guise of education. While we may think that is a good humanitarian effort, we have no right to directly affect the culture of a foreign country. It is not only invasive but is also expensive with respect to a justification as to whether it really makes the world better. Let us remember that essentially all foreigners perpetrating terrorist activities on the US do so as retaliation against US interference in their culture.