[pjc50]

> The private sector does plenty of charity

Plenty? How would you quantify that? Certainly in the scientific area it's a tiny part of total funding.

> in the counterfactual with less government expenditures

In this counterfactual the Axis would have outspent the Allies and perhaps won the war.

[eru]

To avoid controversy, take the counterfactual were spending changes after the surrender.

Also I'm talking about basic research funded by the government with no concrete short-term plan for its use. Applied research and development for identified military needs is a different beast. (And might or might not be good, but it's a different argument.)