The Southern sky is still under-served by big observatories.

There's no reason the US couldn't build another big one in Chile, Australia or South Africa, like the Europeans have been doing. Its not just the protestors, its funding, too. Its getting harder and harder to convince Congress to invest in big multi-billion dollar science projects, whether they be observatories, space missions, or big accelerators. They are not considered "cool".

Sure, money's tight, and we have to prioritize even the worthiest projects. But Big Science has always been seen as another extravagance for science pansies and nerds. In the meantime, we keep on building sports stadiums aircraft carriers and theme parks at public expense like mad fuckers, presumably because of their "economic benefits".

Hell, Congress won't even spend money on our decaying infrastructure, which everyone will benefit from, and which is going to have to be done sooner or later anyway. (Not to mention the longer we wait the more it will cost in these days of low interest rates and inflation.) And why? Because the boost in employment and to the economy might make Obama look good. We certainly can't have that now, can we?

While we're on the subject. Let me make a prediction. In the event Mr Trump wins the next election, and assuming the GOP still controls Congress, you're going to see an orgy of public works spending (not to mention tax cuts and military programs). There will be a stampede of pork, with little consideration as to the value or collateral benefit of the public spending, and no integration into a coordinated economic plan. There may be a temporary spike in the economy, which the White House will take credit for, but when the inevitable cost and inflation catches up to us, it will be all conveniently blamed on the last Democratic administration.

I think I have the SOBs figured out.