“Interchangeable parts and the development of the vertical milling machine are both results of government musket contracts in the 1790s, for example.”
Not a very good example, especially relative to today. The early 19th century was the age of invention. Just about anything that was done was an improvement on what came previously. What the government is not able to do by subsidizing research into wind, solar, fuel cell, electric car and battery power is force gains in efficiencies. We are not much better off with these technologies than we were 40 years ago when the push for these sort of technologies began, after the Arab oil embargo. We have a bunch of idiots in DC who have no concept of what is practical or isn’t. It’s just political crony capitalism, involving firms like GE and Chevy, among others.
