Re:Netflix and Alphabet will need to become ISPs, fast
by kazinator on Wednesday June 13, 2018 @09:29PM
(#17308540)
And even people who don't drive consume goods that are distributed by trucks.
Re:Netflix and Alphabet will need to become ISPs, fast
by stale2002 on Wednesday June 13, 2018 @09:46PM
(#17308618)
Correct. And?
Yes roads have benefits. They also have costs.
The benefits are greater than the costs, but we should be aware that the costs still exist.
Re:Netflix and Alphabet will need to become ISPs, fast
by mattkrause on Wednesday June 13, 2018 @09:50PM
(#17308636)
If the benefits exceed the costs, it’s hardly fair to argue that the program slows economic activity.
Re:Netflix and Alphabet will need to become ISPs, fast
by stale2002 on Thursday June 14, 2018 @12:54AM
(#17309385)
Slowing economic activity IS the cost.
And the benefits outweigh the cost.
Re:Netflix and Alphabet will need to become ISPs, fast
by mattkrause on Thursday June 14, 2018 @01:19AM
(#17309488)
Yes. And when a program's benefits outweigh its costs, it seems weird to say that the program is a damper on economic activity.
In other words, if Option A is "get zero dollars", and Option B is "spend $1 to get $2", it is unfair to complain about B's "cost" (spending $1) in isolation.
Yes, taxes to pay for roads do indeed discourage economic activity.
This is a cost.
And the benefit that we get is the roads.
And in this case the benefits outweigh the costs.
But just because the benefits outweigh the cost doesn't mean that the cost doesn't exist.