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Well, yeah, actually... I mean, if we all balked at the initial cost of certain technological innovations we'd be nowhere. No space shuttle, no DNA sequencing, no computers, no automobiles... I guess if you're Amish then you have a valid argument.
We haven't balked at anything. Government paid for Ford?? lol Evil corporation.
We waste so much money on things with "green" in front of their name its complete insanity. The free market will find the solution if the government would get out of the way. Did the government pay Gates and Jobs to come up with the PC? NO.
We haven't balked at anything. Government paid for Ford?? lol Evil corporation.
We waste so much money on things with "green" in front of their name its complete insanity. The free market will find the solution if the government would get out of the way. Did the government pay Gates and Jobs to come up with the PC? NO.
How many green stimulus companies went bankrupt?
in 2012 the number was 4 out of 28, but then lots of websites started going on about it claiming 50 failures, or 36 failures, with various lists.....but no reference as to what % those represented of the total.....which is kind of weird.
So Im not sure. I am sure however that solar power has become cheaper each year, and theres some amazing new battery technologies coming....
As for the magical free market-please, businesses are in the business of making money, and generally only in the short term. Governments can afford to spend money on research that will benefit us all that takes a long time.
Fusion research
(although to be fair lockheed martin is now saying that they will have a fusion reactor by 2016-but without the government research foundation I doubt they would be there.)
Space exploration
(now being taken over by more private companies)
Mapping the human genome
I could go on, the free market didnt get these things. Your religious belief in the all powerful free market is misplaced. While the free market is truly a great thing for many things, the government does some things better.
So in your eyes the government would have done better than Bill Gates in his garage? I guess so. That is where we are now. Pathetic.
Sigh. We're not talking about Bill gates though are we?
You're unwavering belief that the "free market" is always the best solution is exactly what you said in your statement above. Its pathetic.
The free market will not sustain losses to research things that benefit us in the long term. The free market generally focuses on the short term.
And Bill gate made money immediately. Thats the difference. Fusion research? Private companies werent interested in doing that. Thats federal money-and a lot of it. Now suddenly it looks possible, and companies like lockheed martin jump on board.
President Obama seemed bewildered by the runaway program. “The helicopter I have seems perfectly adequate to me," Obama said. "Of course, I've never had a helicopter before. Maybe I've been deprived and I didn't know it.”
The program was cancelled in 2009, with $3 billion already spent.
President Obama seemed bewildered by the runaway program. “The helicopter I have seems perfectly adequate to me," Obama said. "Of course, I've never had a helicopter before. Maybe I've been deprived and I didn't know it.”
The program was cancelled in 2009, with $3 billion already spent.
Keep reading........ALWAYS keep reading.
The new, initial contract awarded to the American defense contractor Sikorsky, is valued at $1.24 billion. Under the terms of the new contract, the U.S. military will take delivery of two prototype helicopters—based on the Sikorsky S-92 medium helicopter--in 2016. Another 21 fully capable helicopters will follow.
Soooo.......
$620 million for each "prototype".
That's $1.24 billion.
Another 21 fully-capable helicopters to follow.
That's $13 billion.
Throw in the standard cost-overruns -- and you are lying to yourself if you think this thing is coming in UNDER budget -- and you're over $19 billion.
Oh, and don't forget about the $3 billion that was wasted on the cancelled program.
The new, initial contract awarded to the American defense contractor Sikorsky, is valued at $1.24 billion. Under the terms of the new contract, the U.S. military will take delivery of two prototype helicopters—based on the Sikorsky S-92 medium helicopter--in 2016. Another 21 fully capable helicopters will follow.
Soooo.......
$620 million for each "prototype".
That's $1.24 billion.
Another 21 fully-capable helicopters to follow.
That's $13 billion.
Throw in the standard cost-overruns -- and you are lying to yourself if you think this thing is coming in UNDER budget -- and you're over $19 billion.
Oh, and don't forget about the $3 billion that was wasted on the cancelled program.
$22 billion.......to protect s**tstains.
To protect the president of the united states. Im sorry if you feel that that money is poorly spent. Shrug.
But more importantly...lets look at whats up with that?
#1 turns out the linked article is wrong, its 1.24 billion for SIX helicopters, and TWO simulators for example.
#2 the TOTAL cost is 3 billion, not the 19 billion you incorrectly assume.
And for the number of helicopters and how they are configured thats not unreasonable.
Your outrage is misplaced. You should be asking-why did the original contract go so wrong? Turns out it really comes down to picking a cheap helicopter, then trying to massively upgrade it. IE My volkswagon van needs to do 192, and turn like a race car.
The new contract is also a fixed price contract.....
To protect the president of the united states. Im sorry if you feel that that money is poorly spent. Shrug.
But more importantly...lets look at whats up with that?
#1 turns out the linked article is wrong, its 1.24 billion for SIX helicopters, and TWO simulators for example.
#2 the TOTAL cost is 3 billion, not the 19 billion you incorrectly assume.
And for the number of helicopters and how they are configured thats not unreasonable.
Your outrage is misplaced. You should be asking-why did the original contract go so wrong? Turns out it really comes down to picking a cheap helicopter, then trying to massively upgrade it. IE My volkswagon van needs to do 192, and turn like a race car.
The new contract is also a fixed price contract.....
You're dreaming -- DREAMING -- if you think they are going to deliver 6 helicopters and 2 simulators for $1.24 billion.
I realize you're an Obama apologist, but it should not cost BILLIONS of dollars to keep presidents "safe".
Sigh. We're not talking about Bill gates though are we?
You're unwavering belief that the "free market" is always the best solution is exactly what you said in your statement above. Its pathetic.
The free market will not sustain losses to research things that benefit us in the long term. The free market generally focuses on the short term.
And Bill gate made money immediately. Thats the difference. Fusion research? Private companies werent interested in doing that. Thats federal money-and a lot of it. Now suddenly it looks possible, and companies like lockheed martin jump on board.
Darpa? Do you even know whats came out of that?
Yes we are...............private vs government funded entities. Gates did it on his own.
Darpa.............where are you going with that? Yes I know who the robot makers are and they are funded by big bro.
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