> This artice, however, at least uses the interwebs as an interesting example of a free market.
And doesn't mention that the hated, loathed government was the one that actually created it.
They also don't mention some of the more problematic businesses on the internet such as as spyware, botnets, DOS extortion and so on.
But when it all comes down to it, just like Krugman's columns, they're pushing a political point of view, which is why I don't think either one belongs here.
The gov't had to fund the early beginnings of the Internet because it took so much out of the economy to fund Moon/Space/Spy satellite programs against an enemy that could barely produce a decent TV set. They even took a small army of scientists and engineers out of the economy.
This does not even include the telecom regulations preventing competition and innovation during the 50s through 80s. MCI prospered and gave AT&T competition after some regulations were dropped.
When the Gov't takes so much, it's no wonder why scientists/engineers needed it as sugar daddy back then: That's where all the money was.
> spyware, botnets, DOS extortion and so on
We have a market to develop countermeasures: YCombinator and its copycats. The last place you would want protection is from the same gov't that still has problems running the post office and Amtrak.
> the hated, loathed government was the one that actually created it.
The Gov't also used private firms and pre-existing innovations from the market to develop a lot of the programs. Mises.org has published articles about NASA and related programs using pre-existing technologies from the market. The growth of the Internet and Web also came when the Gov't de-regulated large portions of it.
> they're pushing a political point of view
True. Their political POV is: get politicians out of lives, businesses, and private property.
> This artice, however, at least uses the interwebs as an interesting example of a free market.
And doesn't mention that the hated, loathed government was the one that actually created it.
They also don't mention some of the more problematic businesses on the internet such as as spyware, botnets, DOS extortion and so on.
But when it all comes down to it, just like Krugman's columns, they're pushing a political point of view, which is why I don't think either one belongs here.