Archives: July 2025
15 years ago
July 2010
“Governments can take credit for a list of big inventions, from nuclear weapons to the Internet, from radar to satellite navigation. Yet government is also notorious for its ability to misread technical change. In America a truly breathtaking outburst of government-led idiocy appeared in the 1980s under the name of Sematech. Based on the premise that the future lay in big companies manufacturing memory chips (which increasingly were being made in Asia), it poured $100 million into chip manufacturers on the condition that they stop competing with each other and pool their efforts to stay in what was fast becoming a commodity business. As late as 1988, industrial planners were still criticizing the fragmented companies of Silicon Valley as ‘chronically entrepreneurial’ and incapable of long-term investing.”
Matt Ridley
“Ideas Having Sex”
“Some on the right, including Sen. John McCain (R–Ariz.) and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have proposed that Pentagon spending be fixed at 4 percent of GDP. It’s a strange suggestion: Indexing military spending to GDP makes about as much sense as indexing your rent to your salary. And I suspect McCain and Mullen would not agree t
Article from Reason.com
The Reason Magazine website is a go-to destination for libertarians seeking cogent analysis, investigative reporting, and thought-provoking commentary. Championing the principles of individual freedom, limited government, and free markets, the site offers a diverse range of articles, videos, and podcasts that challenge conventional wisdom and advocate for libertarian solutions. Whether you’re interested in politics, culture, or technology, Reason provides a unique lens that prioritizes liberty and rational discourse. It’s an essential resource for those who value critical thinking and nuanced debate in the pursuit of a freer society.
