It is quite astounding how the role of government in the economy is vastly underrated. This is especially true of many conservatives who cling to a free market fantasy, but it is often overlooked by liberals as well. Here are a few snippets of the government role in the US economy:
1. The Internet was the result of a Defense Department project that began in 1962.
2. The interstate highway system was the result of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 under President Eisenhower
3. Satellites, which form a crucial basis for modern communications, emerged from government programs through NASA and other agencies. (Without satellites we wouldn't have cell phones, worldwide Internet, GPS or any other global communication networks)
These are only three examples, but they provide the infrastructure for today's economy. Government involvement in their creation was not just incidental, but absolutely fundamental.
Adam Weiss blogs at politicalcreativity.net