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Infinite innovation and finite politics

The change in the White House may bring different approaches to technology and productivity, but every American president taps into a bottomless well of new scientific ideas.

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Former President Joe Biden watches as President Donald Trump speaks after taking the oath of office, Jan. 20.
  • By the Monitor's Editorial Board

When a newly emboldened Donald Trump started his second term as president Monday, the differences from his Democratic predecessor could be summed up in one way: President Joe Biden’s primary goal in outer space was to return Americans to the moon. Mr. Trump urgently wants “astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.”

Moon shot or Mars shot? Most countries only wish they could enjoy competing goals in space exploration.

The difference might be significant in terms of the pace and scope of planetary discovery. But that misses the point. Both presidents have simply chosen to ride the current wave of creativity and ingenuity in American science and technology – each in his own way. The change in the Oval Office will shift only the approach in boosting the country’s greatest strength: innovation and inventiveness that has driven up labor productivity to rates the rest of the world envies.

Mr. Trump inherits a thriving economy driven in part by mass government spending in green technologies and semiconductor manufacturing under Mr. Biden. Yet the 47th president now seeks a greater role for private investors, reflected in the attendance of American tech moguls such as Elon Musk at his inauguration. He also calls for more use of oil and gas, new tariffs on foreign high-tech products, and less tech regulation.

“In America, the impossible is what we do best,” Mr. Trump said in his speech. “Americans are explorers, builders, innovators, entrepreneurs and pioneers. The spirit of the frontier is written into our hearts.”

Ideas in innovation are infinite and, because they are infinitely accessible to most people, these ideas are unrivaled in their potential. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress agree on what is the cutting edge in science, such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence. They both have helped improve science education and turned America into a magnet for global talent. As a result, the U.S. share of global cross-border investment projects has soared to its highest level on record, according to The Financial Times.

The political clash over different ways to stoke tech innovation – which helps dampen inflation and create jobs – is very manageable. It’s like choosing between Mars and the moon. In the discovery of ideas, the sky’s the limit. The biggest challenge is dispelling a belief in the scarcity of ideas.

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