Yes, cut the MIC budget, but this is part of that budget, kind of, since "Northrop Grumman Fully Assembles NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope"
https://militarycouncil.ca.gov/2019/09/19/northrop-grumman-f...
I believe this is cynically reductive. I worked with plenty of first-generation college students when we studied engineering. All were on scholarships. I think we should be weary of associating STEM with privilege.
even giving credence to this hypothesis that STEM is a rich kids’ sport, should we let the talent go to waste and give rich kids nothing to work on?
I suppose you would say we should apply everyone’s intelligence to solving the bureaucratic problem of how california spends its welfare budget, but it may surprise you that that does not inspire passion in many young people. Space exploration does, and if we have an economy where certain kids get private tutors their whole lives so they someday build telescopes that literally take photographs of the edge of the universe, I think that’s something we can celebrate even if it doesn’t solve literally every problem.
Now defense contractors, that's where the big bucks are.
Yes we should have UBI but like, that doesn't meant we can't do science at the same time. Maybe look to the MIC to cut first.