Global warming?

[Undertoad]

WOW, great reply! Didn't expect that! You really got me there! Fuck, I'm out of the thread while I figure out where I went wrong!




BTW, in this discussion, I'm the one who has actually worked in R&D.

[Fair&Balanced]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

WOW, great reply! Didn't expect that! You really got me there! Fuck, I'm out of the thread while I figure out where I went wrong!

You mean like this and this.

And posting a meaningless chart while ignoring the fact that I specifically said that it was not just R&D but government support (subsidies, tax benefits, etc.)as well.

But in fact, government R&D really started and grew with the establishment of land grant colleges in the 1860s for the purpose of promoting and supporting industrialization. Govt. grants kept many of those colleges in every state afloat for years.

BTW, you also ignored this in response to the same bullshit - economic doomsday if we regulate dirty air emissions - we are hearing today about regulating emissions.

[Spexxvet]

In both World Wars, the gubmint needed new weapons, like tanks and planes, and contracted private industry to develop them. I'd call that promoting R&D and new technology.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Spexxvet

In both World Wars, the gubmint needed new weapons, like tanks and planes, and contracted private industry to develop them. I'd call that promoting R&D and new technology.

A little in WW I, but mostly just awarding contracts to the companies/people that came up with things they could use. As soon a the war was over, not so much. In WW II, big time. They took over practically all R&D and production for the war effort.

At the end of the war, the ramping up of the cold war sparked some R&D but that was mostly grants to collages to research what ever the hell they wanted. Sometimes it produced good stuff, but just as often it was the sex life of frogs in Guatemala.

It didn't really take off until DARPA geared up in the early 70s, which threw so much money around, it got so nobody wanted to fund research, because they could get it from the Feds for almost any field. Granted, they've gotten some great returns on some of it, but a lot of it just ended up making a few people very rich on our dime.

However to say all, or even a majority, of our progress was government funded is ludicrous. The antithesis of free enterprise, and make us more under control of the government.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

... Sometimes it produced good stuff, but just as often it was the sex life of frogs in Guatemala.

Hey! The study of the sex life of frogs in Guatemala saved my mom's life on 911.

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

However to say all, or even a majority, of our progress was government funded is ludicrous. The antithesis of free enterprise, and make us more under control of the government.

Yes, to make an absolute statement either way is ludicrous. Both the private industry and government R&D have played a very large role in creating the technology we see today. Some technology is cheaper to develop and has an obvious economic gain so it is created solely in the private industry. Some technology is extremely expensive to create or does not have an obvious economic gain so it is developed under state R&D and then eventually private industry will take over and make it big. But when it comes to alternative energy, government R&D has already and will continue to play an extremely large role.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Doesn't answer the question as to why they would throw millions of dollars away into a part of the country that is literally awash with hydro-power.

He shouldn't answer the question because the question has no basis in reality. The current problem with Pacific Northwest is that there was an unusually high amount of water from snow melt this year, not with government officials throwing millions of dollar away. Your source even acknowledges that in the third paragraph. The problem could have been prevented but the solution to that still involves investing in alternative energy.