[brc]

A pertinent question to the author (who, quite rightly, seems to be quite emotive at the issue) : if you don't want your colleages to lose their jobs, at which other government dept should the jobs go? Some say defense, might be a good idea, but to say - oh those 1 million defense jobs, they're not as valuable as my 1 million scientists jobs. It's an impossible calculation to make. It's just as heartbreaking for every family where the jobs go missing, no matter where they are employed. I would also ask if this person has shrugged of hearing of several million jobs in constructions, or banking, or wherever, have been lost. Uncomfortable as it might be for government employees, they are totally dependent on the real economy for their jobs. If that real economy isn't firing, then they too, must inevitably feel the effect.

It's quite understandable for people to react strongly, but the target of the outrage is always the person making the cuts, not the person who squandered the money away in the first place.

I am hopeful, however, that some time in the future if a lot of skilled people are released into the jobs market that something new and exciting arises as a result. That's no consolation for a department facing the axe, of course, But surely some of them have a hot new idea that hasn't been pursued because of the stupidity in leaving a well-paid job to chase a dream. Perhaps now someone will chase that hot idea they've had for a decade and change all of our lives forever. I admit it's a long shot, but you've got to hope for something.