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Once upon a time there were millions of individually-owned windmills in the U.S. There were hundreds of windmill manufacturers. Around the 1920s that went into
by freeopinion 6y ago
Once upon a time there were millions of individually-owned windmills in the U.S. There were hundreds of windmill manufacturers. Around the 1920s that went into decline. It didn't take long before all of the U.S. was dependant on power companies instead of harvesting their own energy.
Perhaps you would argue that "if we never plan for public energy infrastructure we're screaming towards some kind of Gibsonian cyberpunk future where energy is privately controlled".
Do you know any Americans who are completely self-sufficient in food production? Should we plan for public infrastructure there? Or is it ok that our food production is privately controlled?
I personally think it is foolish to move a company's data entirely outside the company and place it wholly at the mercy of a single third party outside your control. But I don't see it as needing some plan to put it into the hands of "public digital infrastructure".
- ragona 6y agoI think power is an interesting example because everywhere that it is privatized it tends to be a mess. Shit, PG&E burnt down half of California... what, on behalf of its shareholders, trying to cut corners and make them a buck? Who the fuck did that help? So yeah, I'd really rather see basic internet infrastructure be made into a public utility. Maybe 100 years from now S3 might make sense too. The problem is that we're so busy arguing about whether we should even HAVE a government it's incredibly difficult to do anything smart with ours.
- ClumsyPilot 6y agoNice, you brought up two markets that have plenty of government involvement. Do you know who own the Hoover dam? Have you ever heard of this thing called National Grid? Lets adress food production - ever heard of farming subsidies? Did you never read anything about how these markets function? Because if you do, you will realise that government absolutely does have a hand inevery indutry that's essential to survival of organised civilisation.