> The Internet and broadband both are the result of many years of our > government investing in science/technology R&D, giving research and > implementation grants to university and private research labs while > providing huge tax breaks to the broadband providers. Those providers > promised to get their systems up and running within a designated time, > and in return, they got help from the government, as has been necessary > for huge projects like this, and they have profited well, just not on > their own.
What a wonderfully warm and fuzzy Rotary Club speech. After reading that we should be locking the doors on the labs and standing over the scientists with cattle prods and menacing looks. "Work smarter *and* harder! Damn it, we're nationally and economically insecure! There aren't any stupid questions *or* answers! And for the love of god, whatever you do, don't stop shoveling the money in the door!" Too bad none of it is even the slightest bit relevant to the topic at hand. Broadband subsidy plans don't involve R&D, unless the politicos can come up with a way to stuff the bill with almost credible sounding language to torque up the pork-slinging to their constituents and major donors. No, they're just out-and-out cash deals, not too unlike the Plexiglas cylinders on game shows where they blow the money up into the air for the contestants to grab as much of as they can before the fan turns off. Oh, and thanks to the remarkable foresight displayed above, we now have an expensive broadband oligopoly, and if you're really lucky, a nominally competitive market. Thank god you have the answer to this problem: more of the same, only bigger. Much, much bigger; it's the Ted Stevens plan. Political solutions to non-political, perceived problems. Yeah, that works every time. ************************************************************************* ** List info, subscription management, list rules, archives, privacy ** ** policy, calmness, a member map, and more at http://www.cguys.org/ ** *************************************************************************
