From the NASA website. "Tefon not spinoffs of the Space Program. NASA raised the celebrity status of Teflon, a material invented for DuPont in 1938, when the Agency applied it to heat shields, space suits, and cargo hold liners." Lucky for NASA a private corp was out there inventing something so useful. Memory foam is simply polyurethane that is made a bit more viscous. Saying that NASA invented it, is like saying that Sara Lee invented cake because she adds an ingredient that makes it more moist. Ironically, the same company that invented Teflon also developed the polyurethane that NASA used to make memory foam. Lucky again. The cordless drill is simply an assembly of a drill, an electric motor, and a battery. All invented and developed by private individuals. Lucky for NASA there were all those batteries and DC motors just sitting around. I could go on and on. There is literally not a single thing that government has "invented" that isn't simply an assembly or magnification of prior inventions from the private sector.
Wow! Your view is so warped I don't even know what to say. The private sector doesn't "convince" the government to do something. We "elect" them to do it, and then provide the funding.
wtf is wrong with your brain. the interstate highway system is a modern marvel and imagine the congestion in the city streets without it. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Without a first class system of interstate highways, life in America would be far different --- it would be more risky, less prosperous, and lacking in the efficiency and comfort that Americans now enjoy and take for granted. People would be crowded into more densely packed inner cities, intercity travel would occur less often and be more cumbersome; freight charges would be higher and, as a consequence, so would prices. Vacation travel would be more restricted. The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways is in place and celebrating its 40th anniversary, must surely be the best investment a nation ever made. Consider this: It has enriched the quality of life for virtually every American. It has saved the lives of at least 187,000 people. It has prevented injuries to nearly 12 million people. It has returned more than $6 in economic productivity for each $1 it cost. It has positioned the nation for improved international competitiveness. It has permitted the cherished freedom of personal mobility to flourish. It has enhanced international security. It is not an exaggeration, but a simple statement of fact, that the interstate highway system is an engine that has driven 40 years of unprecedented prosperity and positioned the United States to remain the world's pre-eminent power into the 21st century. While it is not typically thought of in this way, the system is in reality a gift from one group of people --- highway users --- to the nation as a whole, which has reaped a gain of at least $6 in benefit for each $1 spent in construction. And that's just the beginning --- there are additional benefits such as higher employment rates and greater economic opportunity that are simply beyond quantification. Fortunately, the group of people who paid for the interstate highway system is sufficiently large that it's difference from the nation as a whole is virtually without distinction. But it is a worthy difference to keep in mind as a backdrop for public policy deliberations over future funding of highways. This report provides an assessment of the manifold benefits of the interstate highway system. Research by leading transportation authorities and standard statistical methods have been used to estimate the impacts of the interstate highway system. The imperative for upgrading the interstate highway system and other super-highways is described and shown to be readily affordable within the capability of present highway user fee revenue. The interstate highway system has contributed mightily to the economic growth and quality of life in America. The interstates and other super-highways will continue to contribute to economic growth and improved quality of life if necessary investments are made. In large measure, the interstate highway system has democratized mobility in the United States, providing virtually all Americans with the ability to move quickly to any destination within their communities and to travel throughout the nation, inexpensively, and at whatever time or date they desire. http://www.publicpurpose.com/freeway1.htm
are you that clueless about how government works? private interests convince an elected official either through the merrits of the idea or a payoff, to make a case before the other elected officals for something they want. if the idea passes the others subsidise it. i cant think of any business in modern america that does it all "themselves". can you?
Define "themselves". I already showed that they paid up front and are continually paying for access to the market network that is only there because other businesses put it there. In either case, they still paid for/and are paying for the part they use. The only free loading businesses in this country are the ones who are getting subsidies, which most aren't. The vast majority of businesses pay for everything they get directly. You seem to think that every aspiring entrepreneur goes to the government and presents an idea, then they decide if he should get funding. In reality, the vast majority of businesses don't look for government assistance at all.
In any case Free Thinker, to this point I've actually thought that you give thoughtful responses. But, in this debate you are either deliberately antagonizing or your understanding of the topic is so elementary that I can't justify the time suck of trying to explain it to you. Good day.
sometime when you are out in the woods smoking a little pot, just "Imagine" what you call a "modern marvel" I call a monstrosity. and if it was built entirely by private enterprise I bet you would agree
if private enterprise built all the roads we would not have freedom of movement. i would hope you agree. "If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen." - Henry David Thoreau