An inevitable consequence of achieving a fully developed economic system, again as predicted by Adam Smith, is the progression to an M-shaped society.
The idea is simple: When a society has fully developed and the economy is not expanding rapidly, there's very little competition of labour and employment - because there won't be many new factories or jobs. As a result, salary of the middle and lower class comes down, and wealth of the society concentrates in the few from the upper class.
(The situation becomes more obvious with the advance in technology and reduction in the need of labour job - a problem that I briefly discussed some time ago.)
How's that related to medical or scientific research?
You may say the rich should shoulder more responsibility in supporting research. Alas, that's why every university is so eager for philanthropic donation. The situation was fully discussed in three Nature articles, by Jim Giles, Heidi Ledford, and Patrick Aebischer respectively, on 19 January 2012.
And my opinion? I have a déjà vu feeling of seeing the First Emperor of Qin (秦始皇) craving for the immortal medicine!
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