Large monopolists like Bell are basically non-governmental tax authorities. Tax-funded research can be effective, but it can also be horribly ineffective. It

Large monopolists like Bell are basically non-governmental tax authorities. Tax-funded research can be effective, but it can also be horribly ineffective. It is worth observing that the quality of DoD acquisitions and public-funded R&D also declined around the time of Bell's most recent breakup. Might there be other forces at play than the dissolution of a single company?