A Gary Johnson interview, and the "government created the Internet" argument

[Brian4Liberty]

Gary Johnson did an interview on the local Silicon Valley Sunday News show (Press:Here) this week. It's a chance to see Gary discussing issues with a couple of people who seem to be new to the idea that things can happen without government help. For example, the "government creation" of the internet is lauded. Gary talks about the cost/benefit aspects and unintended consequences of having government do everything. To expand that idea, how much money did the taxpayers spend to have something good like the internet come out of it? Good ideas coming out of the government are the rare exception, not the rule. The "internet" would have been created without government intervention, and it was the obvious next step in the evolution of computer networking. It might have been slightly different in technical terms, but there is little doubt that it would have been created in the private sector. The ideas come from people, not the government. Those same people (government employees) could be doing their inventing in a garage (as is tradition in Silicon Valley).

Links to the interview:

Part 1:

http://pressheretv.com/?p=1155
http://www.viddler.com/explore/scottmcgrew/videos/151/

Part 2:

http://pressheretv.com/?p=1146
http://www.viddler.com/explore/scottmcgrew/videos/149/

[Fredom101]

I thought Al Gore created the internet? ;)

[Brian4Liberty]

I thought Al Gore created the internet? ;)

Lol! Well, he did invent global warming...

[AFPVet]

Lol! Well, he did invent global warming...

Hahahaha that he did. According to my history course, Al Gore coined the phrase 'the information super highway'; however, the DOD created the internet. So you can see why some may think that he created the internet... he created the phrase lol.

[Brian4Liberty]

Hahahaha that he did. According to my history course, Al Gore coined the phrase 'the information super highway'; however, the DOD created the internet. So you can see why some may think that he created the internet... he created the phrase lol.

I don't believe he even coined the phrase. Al Gore used the phrase without really knowing exactly what he was talking about. Originally, he was pretty much talking about high-speed networks and fiber-optic cable to connect mainframes. The reality of the internet that we have today was not fully imagined or appreciated yet. As an aside, the early predecessors of ESBs (Enterprise Service Bus) were also being called "Information Superhighways" at the time.

[Elwar]

If not for the government and the Federal Communications Act of 1934 we would've had cell phones in the 40s or 50s.

[Brian4Liberty]

If not for the government and the Federal Communications Act of 1934 we would've had cell phones in the 40s or 50s.

Maybe, but you wouldn't be able to carry them until the Integrated Chip was developed and perfected.

[Elwar]

Maybe, but you wouldn't be able to carry them until the Integrated Chip was developed and perfected.

Ya...not so much cell phones as "car phones".