General Discussion

dkf

(37,305 posts)

49. More on broadband failures...

Sun Feb 17, 2013, 08:32 PM

Feb 2013

What Does WorldCom's Bankruptcy Mean for Broadband and Beyond?

Editor's note: Solveig Singleton is a senior policy analyst for the Project on Technology and Innovation at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

WASHINGTON, D.C. ... With WorldCom and Global Crossing bankrupt, Qwest in crisis and downturns in profits for BellSouth and other substantial companies, a lot of people are asking a lot of questions. Among the competing theories of what went wrong, what thread of truth might guide us out of the labyrinth?

The Greed/Hype Theory? Alan Greenspan's "infectious greed" hypothesis caught on in the press. But the "greed" hypothesis explains nothing. A profit motive is often an engine of success. Why would greed yield bankruptcy, not profits, especially across one sector of the economy? Why hype, when there were real opportunities? What cues or incentives led so many systematically astray?

http://wraltechwire.com/business/tech_wire/opinion/story/1150845/

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

156 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Some things that should NEVER be "PRIVATIZED" in a Democracy: [View all] bvar22 Feb 2013 OP

If education should never be privatized, all the way through a graduate degree........ OceanEcosystem Feb 2013 #1

Private schools can't substitute for public education. Private schools are just a drop in the duffyduff Feb 2013 #6

PUblic MOney should be spent on our public schools. bvar22 Feb 2013 #17

Endowments Granted by billionares who went to Harvard and Yale ... YOHABLO Feb 2013 #98

I don't think students attending private schools should be eligible for Pell Grants. tarheelsunc Feb 2013 #50

He isn't saying that all education or all transportation has to be JDPriestly Feb 2013 #80

Correct. grahamhgreen Feb 2013 #100

These "private" for profit colleges Smilo Feb 2013 #122

K&R! jannyk Feb 2013 #2

............. Angry Dragon Feb 2013 #3

If no method of communication can ever be privatized, how do new technologies ever happen, dkf Feb 2013 #4

One word for you - DARPA GoneOffShore Feb 2013 #5

How much do you think it cost to create all the cell phone and data infrastructure? dkf Feb 2013 #7

We built the Interstate system and could certainly fund that. GoneOffShore Feb 2013 #12

and rural electrification back in the day Doctor_J Feb 2013 #58

So we did. And as Sir Francis Urquhart would say, GoneOffShore Feb 2013 #71

TVA. Jackpine Radical Feb 2013 #32

Look at high speed rail and renewable energy... dkf Feb 2013 #36

I think there's a lot of deliberate crippling going on. Jackpine Radical Feb 2013 #37

Which goes to the dysfunction I was speaking of. dkf Feb 2013 #39

when we stop electing politicians that want to drown it in a bathtub, it will. corkhead Feb 2013 #56

Mostly because of the crazy Republican ideologues who JDPriestly Feb 2013 #83

And you want them in charge of your broadband access? dkf Feb 2013 #89

DARPA originated the concept and demoed it. Industry and academia took it from there ProgressiveProfessor Feb 2013 #116

Plenty of academia is funded by the government. Hissyspit Feb 2013 #151

Not anywhere near what they used to ProgressiveProfessor Feb 2013 #152

Thanks in part to Republicans. Hissyspit Feb 2013 #155

DARPA developed computers disndat Feb 2013 #121

Far from true ProgressiveProfessor Feb 2013 #153

If the internet was created by a private company adieu Feb 2013 #10

The Internet is public but not the infrastructure used by the public. dkf Feb 2013 #26

Not quite timdog44 Feb 2013 #41

Along with accounting shenanigans. dkf Feb 2013 #43

They spent $2 billion on broadband operations. dkf Feb 2013 #47

More on broadband failures... dkf Feb 2013 #49

Ever heard of Open Source? JDPriestly Feb 2013 #84

But I can't get to it without broadband or cell. dkf Feb 2013 #88

All of the Open Source software is privately owned and licensed for public use ProgressiveProfessor Feb 2013 #115

I don't think the dichotomy is between government and JDPriestly Feb 2013 #145

Not every for profit is a "gouger", even in the S/W world ProgressiveProfessor Feb 2013 #147

No, that's not why Worldcom went broke. Not even remotely. idwiyo Feb 2013 #95

The Internet is collection of private networks cooperatively agreeing to share data ProgressiveProfessor Feb 2013 #114

So why has the internet not failed? former9thward Feb 2013 #29

I don't think we should be deluded. timdog44 Feb 2013 #51

Actually, you know what made the internet not fail? Commercial activity. X_Digger Feb 2013 #86

They take 20-25% off the top Doctor_J Feb 2013 #108

Public funding coupled with legislation to create monopolies, etc. mwooldri Feb 2013 #60

The Private Sector is perfectly free to develop whatever they wish to develop, bvar22 Feb 2013 #126

+1000 nt LWolf Feb 2013 #8

How large is the budget going to be for this? OceanEcosystem Feb 2013 #9

Privatization often ends up costing more. alarimer Feb 2013 #25

"often" my ass . . . .ALWAYS annabanana Feb 2013 #35

They either cost more drmeow Feb 2013 #64

2 words: British Rail. Enough bloody said. IMNSHO privatisation is good for lining up pockets of the idwiyo Feb 2013 #97

+1000 abelenkpe Feb 2013 #45

I disagree about contractors. hack89 Feb 2013 #149

Spread among 320 million people? Doctor_J Feb 2013 #59

1/3 the budget of the private system. grahamhgreen Feb 2013 #101

I know. Let's raid the military budget. CrispyQ Feb 2013 #124

Twice as large LWolf Feb 2013 #143

I never knew how big the difference between the parties was until the newt wanted to privitize... rwsanders Feb 2013 #11

Well than how do you humbled_opinion Feb 2013 #63

Your comical attempt to apply market forces to the national parks is ridiculous and inverts the rwsanders Feb 2013 #133

LOL Your just silly... humbled_opinion Feb 2013 #150

Your arguments make a lot of sense... rwsanders Feb 2013 #156

how do you get the sun to only shine on certain people? icarusxat Feb 2013 #139

Health Care, not insurance. We would do well to eliminate the entire insurance Egalitarian Thug Feb 2013 #13

The insurance industry needs much better regulation GoneOffShore Feb 2013 #18

I didn't want to get too far OT. Shared risk is essential, letting a few profit from Egalitarian Thug Feb 2013 #19

Why can't all insurance be public? Curmudgeoness Feb 2013 #24

I've got to do some research and get back to this. GoneOffShore Feb 2013 #31

Fundamentally Insurance is gambling thetonka Feb 2013 #137

The Health Insurance Industry: bvar22 Feb 2013 #27

I'm not so sure I want the government to own the means of delivering actual Health "Care", bvar22 Feb 2013 #20

That's the place where producer & consumer co-ops can function well. Jackpine Radical Feb 2013 #33

That's what they do in England Doctor_J Feb 2013 #57

You're talking about single payer which I'm fairly certain we agree on. Egalitarian Thug Feb 2013 #99

So you avoid hospitals with the word "University" on them? CreekDog Feb 2013 #104

Insurance is not Health Care, totally agree. harun Feb 2013 #118

k&r Starry Messenger Feb 2013 #14

More of this, please! n/t Cracklin Charlie Feb 2013 #15

Glad to see "Health Insurance" on that list 99th_Monkey Feb 2013 #16

Mental health facilities Third Doctor Feb 2013 #21

This is screwed up .... Scuba Feb 2013 #22

I could not agree more alarimer Feb 2013 #23

K&R Riley18 Feb 2013 #28

Don't forget Social Security * Redfairen Feb 2013 #30

K&R SalviaBlue Feb 2013 #34

Adoption Agencies. There should be no profit motive there. StevieM Feb 2013 #38

Exactly, the baby scoop era conintiues...just a smaller scoop me b zola Feb 2013 #87

Some people will always feel justified in taking another woman's child. StevieM Feb 2013 #92

Here ye! Here ye! I couldn't agree more! Initech Feb 2013 #40

Unfortunately, we've gotten a long way from... Blanks Feb 2013 #42

I think we should change the way state workers are paid. napoleon_in_rags Feb 2013 #52

I'm not opposed to competition to the government in every instance... Blanks Feb 2013 #106

I would add..... airplaneman Feb 2013 #44

Yeah, I never really understood why people HAVE to pay for water. Jamaal510 Feb 2013 #46

Sarcasm? Bay Boy Feb 2013 #68

The absolute cheapest way to santize water is for individual homes to truedelphi Feb 2013 #134

Banks. Nt abelenkpe Feb 2013 #48

Nicely stated. timdog44 Feb 2013 #53

FDR - 2nd Bill of Rights. Obama - Doctor_J Feb 2013 #54

The Counting Of The Votes Doctor_J Feb 2013 #55

That should definitely be on the list. Thanks for mentioning it. sabrina 1 Feb 2013 #69

The Counting of The Votes should be #1 on The LIST. bvar22 Feb 2013 #128

HEAR HEAR! Well said! (nt) Demo_Chris Feb 2013 #61

Agree and Rec PufPuf23 Feb 2013 #62

Adoption should not be privatized me b zola Feb 2013 #65

Amen!!! (please see my post, #38). If only the American people knew the truth. It breaks my heart to StevieM Feb 2013 #73

Utah has allowed people at certain "state approved" adoption agencies to kidnap babies and truedelphi Feb 2013 #135

Don't forget the parking meters because if you do then you may not be able to afford to park! lunasun Feb 2013 #66

I could perhaps nitpick some tiny details, but for the most part: + about a million! Dark n Stormy Knight Feb 2013 #67

Central Bank... Agony Feb 2013 #70

Giving this a kick to keep it going. GoneOffShore Feb 2013 #72

"Capitalism can do everything"? JamesSchacht Feb 2013 #74

well said! liberal_at_heart Feb 2013 #75

K&R forestpath Feb 2013 #76

Capitalism JamesSchacht Feb 2013 #77

I approve this rant against Libertarianism and Ron Paul-esque propaganda. joshcryer Feb 2013 #78

I would add to that list theKed Feb 2013 #79

Responsibility JamesSchacht Feb 2013 #81

You seem to like "airquotes" quite a bit... n/t Agschmid Feb 2013 #82

But this is EXACTLY the GOP plan to spur the economy. nt valerief Feb 2013 #85

The last thing I want to see privatized mick063 Feb 2013 #90

Sounds pretty good to me, especially health care. Comrade Grumpy Feb 2013 #91

Recommended. William769 Feb 2013 #93

K & R Raksha Feb 2013 #94

If privatized, We the people, FOREVER INSURE these things. Festivito Feb 2013 #96

+1000 blackspade Feb 2013 #102

if only we could get a manufacturing base iamthebandfanman Feb 2013 #103

I Am Not Opposed to the Privatization of Some of These Items erpowers Feb 2013 #105

Private health insurance is nothing but a death sentence Doctor_J Feb 2013 #109

Competition erpowers Feb 2013 #144

More BS Doctor_J Feb 2013 #148

1 Extremely important thing you left off 1-Old-Man Feb 2013 #107

Best post I've seen on this site in awhile. Thanks bvar22. nt TBF Feb 2013 #110

Ditto your remrk. Thanks Bvar! n/t truedelphi Feb 2013 #136

Established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed - TBF Feb 2013 #111

I have often theKed Feb 2013 #112

K&R ck4829 Feb 2013 #113

Oil and Gas Pharaoh Feb 2013 #117

I would add any natural resources that are under ground Major Nikon Feb 2013 #120

And then you get to dig a hole in my back yard? Bay Boy Feb 2013 #129

That would be a local government issue Major Nikon Feb 2013 #132

Also what about scientific grants. Kablooie Feb 2013 #119

Basically health care should not be privatized in any way Rosa Luxemburg Feb 2013 #123

KBR! No, not that one, this one: CrispyQ Feb 2013 #125

Health insurance. nt Deep13 Feb 2013 #127

Privatization is such a nice word felix_numinous Feb 2013 #130

The Internet, broadcast wavelengths, the list goes on. How about minerals under the land! Coyotl Feb 2013 #131

Add to that social services for the vulnerable. freshwest Feb 2013 #138

Amen, hallelujah, hear hear, and hip hip hooray. limpyhobbler Feb 2013 #140

foundation of everything else.... ahlnord Feb 2013 #141

HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!! WillyT Feb 2013 #142

K&R! nt raouldukelives Feb 2013 #146

OUR WHOLE FUCKING GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN PRIVATIZED! L0oniX Feb 2013 #154