3 ms·

Your "226" includes the one-time initial development costs. You're comparing $40/yr in perpetuity versus something like $220 once, $6/yr after that - and I sus

Your "226" includes the one-time initial development costs. You're comparing $40/yr in perpetuity versus something like $220 once, $6/yr after that - and I suspect the actual costs of running the system are far lower.

johnsmith1840 2mo ago
Again, assuming the government can outcompete on price vs private industry. It's a real point but I don't know an example of that happening elsewhere. The US government outcompeting private industry is exactly why communism doesn't work
- tene80i 2mo ago
  You’ve already received the answer to this. The platform was already built. There’s every reason to think it would require only very small operating costs from now on, whereas a company has every reason to maintain profit margins with a fixed price.
- hnlmorg 2mo ago
  It’s not communism. It’s literally how most of the rest of the developed world file their taxes. Given taxes are a government system, and one that’s complicated enough that you shouldn’t expect the average tax payer to need to understand it nor have the money to afford an accountant, it’s actually insane to argue that this should be operated in the private space. This is exactly the kind of thing the government should operate in capitalist societies.
  - johnsmith1840 2mo ago
    Most of the developed world aint doin so hot
    - hnlmorg 2mo ago
      Those who fund their government branches are generally doing better than those who are not. America being the prime recent example of this. And those who’s government places policies which benefit their voters generally have a better quality of life than those who accept lobbying, and corruption dictate government policies.
      - johnsmith1840 2mo ago
        You saying america isn't doing well?
        Arainach 2mo ago
        America is doing awful. Income inequality, oppression of minorities, visible corruption, the wholesale destruction of the scientific and policy infrastructure that made it a world leader, abandoning important technologies such as renewable energy, destroying the social safety net....should I go on?
        johnsmith1840 2mo ago
        Well there's the root of the disagreement. I view it as the opposite, that the US is setting itself up to be the dominant world power for the next 100 years. Energy, space and AI if US doesn't fumble those we're looking at a golden age the likes of which we've never seen. Also fyi the US science budget has literally not changed. So luckily the orange man can kick and scream but our budget for science isn't going away (not to say it's not disrupted).
        Arainach 2mo ago
        America's dominance in science and technology (and art, and other fields) was due to an atmosphere where the smartest and best people from around the world wanted to come here. We have actively worked to drive them away and broken the processes in ways that can't be fixed with the stroke of a pen. Our economic influence was based around being a stabilizing force and soft power - both of which we have destroyed. The world was willing to forgive us for 2016-2020, but now they know we are not to be trusted - that we will abandon and publicly abuse our allies no matter how close, that our policy changes based on whichever dictator last talked to Trump, and they know that the other two wings of our government are spineless and powerless sycophants who will never put a stop to any of it. They are forming trade relationships and infrastructure without us, and we will never get back our preferred status. We have given up generational advantages and are not set up to be a dominant power in anything. We are an empire in accelerating decline.
- Arainach 2mo ago
  The government outcompetes the private sector in almost everything it gets into. Healthcare, mail delivery, fire relief, and far more. The private sector is all about slashing quality and raising prices.
bhawks 2mo ago
If you read further you'll see that in 2025 they spent $40 million additional and served 300000 people - so $130/user? The metrics for this project don't sell it - the politics do. You'll either love it or hate it.

johnsmith1840 2mo ago

Again, assuming the government can outcompete on price vs private industry. It's a real point but I don't know an example of that happening elsewhere. The US government outcompeting private industry is exactly why communism doesn't work

tene80i 2mo ago
You’ve already received the answer to this. The platform was already built. There’s every reason to think it would require only very small operating costs from now on, whereas a company has every reason to maintain profit margins with a fixed price.
hnlmorg 2mo ago
It’s not communism. It’s literally how most of the rest of the developed world file their taxes. Given taxes are a government system, and one that’s complicated enough that you shouldn’t expect the average tax payer to need to understand it nor have the money to afford an accountant, it’s actually insane to argue that this should be operated in the private space. This is exactly the kind of thing the government should operate in capitalist societies.
- johnsmith1840 2mo ago
  Most of the developed world aint doin so hot
  - hnlmorg 2mo ago
    Those who fund their government branches are generally doing better than those who are not. America being the prime recent example of this. And those who’s government places policies which benefit their voters generally have a better quality of life than those who accept lobbying, and corruption dictate government policies.
    - johnsmith1840 2mo ago
      You saying america isn't doing well?
      - Arainach 2mo ago
        America is doing awful. Income inequality, oppression of minorities, visible corruption, the wholesale destruction of the scientific and policy infrastructure that made it a world leader, abandoning important technologies such as renewable energy, destroying the social safety net....should I go on?
        johnsmith1840 2mo ago
        Well there's the root of the disagreement. I view it as the opposite, that the US is setting itself up to be the dominant world power for the next 100 years. Energy, space and AI if US doesn't fumble those we're looking at a golden age the likes of which we've never seen. Also fyi the US science budget has literally not changed. So luckily the orange man can kick and scream but our budget for science isn't going away (not to say it's not disrupted).
        Arainach 2mo ago
        America's dominance in science and technology (and art, and other fields) was due to an atmosphere where the smartest and best people from around the world wanted to come here. We have actively worked to drive them away and broken the processes in ways that can't be fixed with the stroke of a pen. Our economic influence was based around being a stabilizing force and soft power - both of which we have destroyed. The world was willing to forgive us for 2016-2020, but now they know we are not to be trusted - that we will abandon and publicly abuse our allies no matter how close, that our policy changes based on whichever dictator last talked to Trump, and they know that the other two wings of our government are spineless and powerless sycophants who will never put a stop to any of it. They are forming trade relationships and infrastructure without us, and we will never get back our preferred status. We have given up generational advantages and are not set up to be a dominant power in anything. We are an empire in accelerating decline.
Arainach 2mo ago
The government outcompetes the private sector in almost everything it gets into. Healthcare, mail delivery, fire relief, and far more. The private sector is all about slashing quality and raising prices.

bhawks 2mo ago

If you read further you'll see that in 2025 they spent $40 million additional and served 300000 people - so $130/user? The metrics for this project don't sell it - the politics do. You'll either love it or hate it.