NRO's Corner is having an interesting discussion today about ethanol, and although there are some posts that are both serious and interesting, this one needs a response:
Update: I should clarify that I'm not thrilled with pouring federal research dollars into this or any other alternative energy project. Part of "success" is being self-sustaining without public funds—something many alternative energy cheerleaders seem to forget.
I realize that Peter Suderman means this to be a shot at government research dollars, but I don't get it. The point of government funded research isn't to fund something forever; it is to provide the seed money necessary to complete the research needed to bring a new product to market. After that the market takes over and, in theory at least, people make tons of money.
That is how research works. You provide funding, you make discoveries, you develop products, and then you sell them.
Now if by "research" he meant "subsidies" or "price supports," then I suppose his argument is different. But as the post stands, it almost seems as if he doesn't understand what "research" actually is. Which is odd.
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