[ExI] Private and government R&D

[Stathis Papaioannou]

2009/7/1 Mirco Romanato <painlord2k at libero.it>:

> Stathis could tell us how privately funded project are always short term
> minded. Not only, he could tell us how many public funded project become
> self-supporting like the Sagrada Familia (they fund the building with
> the tickets of the visitors).

Does the Sagrada Familia make a profit and is it as great as the
profit that could be obtained by putting the money in a low risk
interest-bearing deposit? An investor in general would not invest in a
company that won't make a profit for decades, or ever. This isn't a
controversial statement, it's just the way business works. Sometimes
there are enthusiasts and private (as opposed to listed) companies who
aren't answerable to shareholders and don't care about maximising
profit, but that goes against the central principle of capitalist
enterprise.

>> Don't confuse your desire to pretend you are good with actually being good.
>
> I think he confuse his desire to feel good about himself with actually
> being good.

I'm a consequentialist: I only care about ultimate good effects, and
when peoples' desire to "be good" doesn't lead to good effects, it's
at best irrelevant and at worst dangerous.

-- 
Stathis Papaioannou