Saving Lives Isn't Profitable Enough

Vulgar Marxists will tell you that the state is just "the executive committee of the bourgeoisie." Conservative governments seem to have heard that and said "hey, that's a good idea." Take this bit of ridiculousness from Australia:

Australia's first national bushfire research program could be disbanded within two years because it will fail to meet tough new Federal Government rules demanding research deliver marketable commercial benefits. ... The Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre, which has more than 60 fire research programs operating across the continent, has flagged it may not rebid next year for a second seven-year term of government funding, unless the controversial commercial benefit rules are scrapped. ... Two of Australia's most successful and high-profile national environmental research programs the National Weeds Management and Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centres were refused a second round of federal funding last year because they failed to meet the new commercial criteria.