My point was that eventually the anti-science policymakers will eventually lose out. Societies that value technology and science will win in the end - they will have economic advantages and advantages in war.

> It matters kind of a lot whether the winner is a liberal democracy with free speech and civil liberties or a totalitarian communist dictatorship.

This is irrelevant to the conversation, but yes that is why we spend trillions on defense technology, so that if it comes to blows we don't lose out.