No, but they are far worse at managing it then AT&T, or any other major successful company.

For example, almost half of it will end up in other countries to pay interest. None of it will go to pay the principle.

A large portion will end up in Iraq, or Afganistan. 

A lot of it will end up in places that don't really help the US.

Some of it will help, but I think at a far worse level then it would have helped in AT&T's hands. I mean, the only reason it's there to take, is because AT&T is making money. At this point in our economy, the last thing you want to do is stop that.

We are spending hundreds of billions of dollars to try and spark the economy. It's a lot cheaper to just let one company who has proven they can do it keep 1 billion, over taking it from them and giving it to companies that may or may not do a very good job with it.

AHP! You got me. You got me good. (I was hoping someone would make that joke)

@TheRealMafoo:

I'm sorry, I just find it hard to be that depressed about the government giving telecom giants less money! That's not one of the things I can get impassioned about.

Right, because companies are evil, and governments are for the people.

yea...

One may hope, now mayn't one? I mean, it's kind of the idea!

But then I like socialized healthcare, at least as an option.

Governments are the biggest nonprofit organizations out there.

Somewhere along the way, "profits" became a bad word. Not sure why that is. Sad really.

The idea being that a government should channel any of its surplus capital directly into the people's interests - even if that means saving up for something really big down the line - is pretty much an ideal.

TheRealMafoo said: Final-Fan said: Governments are the biggest nonprofit organizations out there. Somewhere along the way, "profits" became a bad word. Not sure why that is. Sad really.

I would guess a lot of it is because people don't like the way other people make those profits. 

But what I meant when I said the quoted is more along the lines of the fact that non-profits aren't out to get money from the people they deal with ... like for-profits do.  Not evil, just the nature of the beast.  So that is an advantage that non-profits have, that they don't have to skim as big an amount as possible to appease and give to the shareholders.  Unfortunately governments also have disadvantages, which you're well aware of. 

Final-Fan said: TheRealMafoo said: Final-Fan said: Governments are the biggest nonprofit organizations out there. Somewhere along the way, "profits" became a bad word. Not sure why that is. Sad really. I would guess a lot of it is because people don't like the way other people make those profits.  But what I meant when I said the quoted is more along the lines of the fact that non-profits aren't out to get money from the people they deal with ... like for-profits do.  Not evil, just the nature of the beast.  So that is an advantage that non-profits have, that they don't have to skim as big an amount as possible to appease and give to the shareholders.  Unfortunately governments also have disadvantages, which you're well aware of.

But name a nonprofit that makes a good TV, Cell Phone, or car? (well, we can joke that the government now makes cars, but anyway).

When did a nonprofit discover a new medication for saving peoples lives?

If the internet was left to nonprofits, we would not be talking right now, because the internet would not be what it is, and you and I would have nothing to type on.

Just because profit is in the mix, does not make the outcome worse. In fact, 99% of the time, it makes it better.

When you look at what the US achieved over the last 100 years, what do you think caused that? Do you think Americans are just smarter then the rest of the world? I sure don't think so. I think we did what we did, because companies were allowed to make a profit. Take that away, and we become Europe, in every way.

Parts of Europe are great, but there were parts of the US that were unmatched by anyone in the world. You can't have it both ways. You want to socialize the US, you lose what made us great.

And when the US losses that, the world losses along with it. 

For your first question, that's not the way the private sector is wired.

I think that nonprofits/gov'ts have done plenty to benefit medicine, thank you very much.

And if the internet was left to for-profits, it probably wouldn't exist at all, let alone in its current state of development.

Look, if you're thinking I'm trying to say that being nonprofit would make any and all organizations automatically more effective, I'm not. But I'm calling bullshit on your 99%. And for things like heath insurance, I think that non-profit may well be superior.