Re: So why don't US citizens get this?

[Laird Popkin <laird () pando com>]

On Jul 28, 2008, at 9:54 AM, John Levine wrote:

> In article <2B12539A-2240-455C-9CE4-06F1DFA94E00 () eyeconomics com>  
> you write:
> > Sort of makes one wonder how the US came to have ubiquitous roads, or
> > power, or water distribution...
>
> Oh, but that's different.  They were important.

Or, to be more specific, people everywhere need power and water and  
were willing to pay for them, so other people started companies to  
provide them everywhere. Roads are a little more complicated - the  
basic roads were there due to demand, but the highways got built  
because the Army argued that without highways they couldn't move  
troops and supplies to defend the country in case of an invasion. The  
same trick got science funded for a while... :-)