Does Condensed Matter Physics Really Matter?

I am watching this show, "Dark Secret of Hendrick Schon", on the Science Channel. Although it is quite interesting to hear how nanotechnology is and will make even bigger changes to our world and ultimately save our economy, this scientific circle jerk fails to recognize that our current education system doesn't support future citizens being able to power on let alone understand the very machines created to serve them. I long gave up on the theme of "science saving us all"-we have the best equipped military in the world and yet thousands of our soilders have been killed or maimed by roadside bombs created by folks who oftimes are illiterate. And those very soilders who make it home cannot take advantage of the medical technology available because they cannot afford it or the Congress has failed to properly fund the hospital or its staff so that the innovation can be administered. All I'm saying is that these lovely break throughs mean nothing if we aren't going to invest in the people who are going to use them or make use of them. You really want to support the growth of science in America? Vote for a tax increase to cover public schools and college funds. Otherwise, the only people taking advantage of nanotechnology will be 1.6 million Chinese.