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Originally Posted by Manic!
Three letters GPS. I think the benefits far out way the original 12 billion the US spent to put the satellites in space and the 750 million it costs every year in upkeep.
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Originally Posted by DragonChi
What about government funded research that has developed most, of the technology that we use today?
Governments actually pioneer knowledge, it's companies that take the ground breaking knowledge and refine it, and monetize it.
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Originally Posted by Jmac
Using my own experiences is cherry-picking now?
I've worked in the public sector for 5 years, I worked in the private sector for 18 years prior to that.
Both have their pros and cons.
To say, unequivocally that one is better in every way and in every situation is asinine.
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Most of you are not worth responding to. Anyone want to actually debate ideas and not be a dick because your precious beliefs have been challenged?
If you think the government is more efficient than the private sector then please read some economics. Some good teachers are Friedman and Hayek.
Basically, all government expenditures have to be paid by tax payer dollars. If you increase expenditure, it has to come from tax payers. Thus, to limit taxes, we have to limit spending and spend wisely! It sounds like common sense because economics is common sense at its core.
Anyway, governments pioneering knowledge is very true. I believe this is a legitimate use of our tax dollars because this is not something the private sector could do due to massive start-up costs. Space travel, the internet, and GPS are good examples. Glad we agree on something.
I also agree with the point having their pros and cons, this is something any reasonable person would agree with. However it begs the question: what roles should the government play and what should be left to the private sector?
In my humble opinion, and as I've stated previously the government of Canada is not only inefficient but it's bloated. ICBC should be closed down. There are too many regulations in every industry. For example, the government should not have any say for the length of cell phone contracts.