*New* Public Service Announcement: Disaster Preparedness in Nepal_Part 5
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The Merits of Medical Research and the Population, Part 2
The debate that surrounds the application of embryonic stem cell research is intense and passionately fought, but is in fact just a small part of the wider issue of the role that medical research plays in the contemporary age. Apart from the debate that surrounds its purpose and ethical characteristics, there is also criticism of the amount of public revenue that is invested into it for a supposedly negligible return.
Medical research is something that has the potential to create vast improvements in the living condition and prosperity of those afflicted by illness, and as such has remained a significant beneficiary of public funding. Though the investigations and swathes of research that have been conducted have not necessarily made significant steps towards curing long term ailments, the continued and unrelenting pace of scientific progression suggests that this breakthrough is not especially far away.
Natural Selection vs. Scientific Advancements
The supposed lack of tangible results is not actually the main reason cited for opposition to investment in medical research, and it is in fact a moral principle which creates the most significant objection. This is based on the potential eradication of natural selection, which has for years been the single most influential regulator of global and national population. It is the natural process of death that forms part of the cycle of existence, and helps keep the world from the perils of mass poverty and over population.
Rising Gas Prices and the Cycle of Economic Growth
With gas prices set to rise beyond the $4 mark across the US, citizens are finding themselves trapped within a vicious cycle of economic hardship. The current price, which is based on the inflated cost of oil, has already risen to its highest point since July 2008, and economists are predicting that that $4 price for gas may take hold nationwide throughout July and August. This, in line with high unemployment and increased cuts in public expenditure, is creating the likely prospect of the nations economy grinding to a shuddering halt.
The Factors in Economic Growth
There are two significant factors which drive capitalist economic growth. The first of these is enterprise, and the investment in businesses that to allows them to expand their operations and hire new staff. This then follows in to the second factor, which is consumer activity and the revenue that citizens reinvest into the economy. By itself, this is the single most important influence on the financial growth of the US, but it is in part reliant on an environment where people are able to work and earn a regular salary.
In an environment where both independent enterprise and consumer spending is hindered, it creates a distinct cycle of economic hardship. This is debilitating for both the federal government and private sector growth, but also has a deep and perpetual impact on the day to day existence of citizens. As is typical with these types of circumstance, one factor often influences the other, so as long as citizens are unable to find employment and earn any semblence of disposable income, so too they are forced to reduce their levels of expenditure and tighten their financial belts.