I find the remark about not funding such elementary research silly. It could be said that <i>not</i> finding the Higgs particle is a bigger discovery than actually finding it. Either way, it's about gaining knowledge.
Well, that's science for you. No shame if they don't end up finding the Higgs boson. You just regroup, devise alternate theories and move on. Surely with all of the data there's something we can learn about this.<p>There as something interesting in the article about Congress cancelling the Superconducting Super Collider. There is something to be said about how society values finding particles that could change humanity against more mundane needs like economic stimulation and ensuring it's people are fed.