[11685] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Clinton Adminsitration Corporate Network Socialism?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Russell Nelson)
Wed Apr 13 19:30:45 1994
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 94 08:30 EDT
From: nelson@crynwr.com (Russell Nelson)
To: fidelman@civicnet.org
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.89.9404121258.A5514-0100000@world.std.com> (message from Miles R Fidelman on Tue, 12 Apr 1994 12:26:59 -0400 (EDT))
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 1994 12:26:59 -0400 (EDT)
From: Miles R Fidelman <fidelman@civicnet.org>
I'll get the the point first (you're welcome) and maunder later, even
though it changes the order of Miles' posting. Gack, I hate coming
across as a loony libertarian ideologue, but the truth is the truth
and when you speak it plainly, you come across as a loony libertarian
ideologue.
The internet equipment business (BBN, Cisco, Sun, ...) was built on a
base of DoD technology and network contracts, NSF spending, and on general
spending by universities on research infrastructure.
Telenet Corp. (now Sprintnet), PSI, UUnet, etc. all grew out of a
technology and market base that was initially subsidized by the government.
Subsidized? No. They just *bought* it. There's a big difference
between buying something because you need it, and buying something to
give it away (to someone who a. might not want it and b. might be able
to afford it on their own).
Also note that the air traffic industry is a good example of how NOT to
remove government spending from an industry -- while we've seen price
cuts from deregulation, we've also seen quality go way down,
I dunno, air travel is still the safest way to go. By far.
a slew of bankruptcies,
Exactly what you would expect if government regulation was propping up
inefficient airlines.
a slowdown in aircraft orders,
Exactly what you would expect if inefficient airlines weren't using
their airplanes efficiently. Now that they are, they need fewer.
prices to out-of-the-way locations have gone up,
Well, I live in an out-of-the-way location (ha! I understate!) and I
support this. Why should urban dwellers subsidize my air travel?
the air traffic control system is in shambles, etc....
I don't know why this might be; perhaps it's still being run by the
government?
-russ <nelson@crynwr.com> ftp.msen.com:pub/vendor/crynwr/crynwr.wav
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