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To: erkelly
Think about it, which came first, the cattle ranches or the railroad?

Not sure what your point is, but there were immense ranches in CA in the early 19th century, but they sold only the hides and to some extent tallow, as there was no way to get meat to a market.

Cattle ranching didn't become profitable in the West until there was a market for beef. Army, miners, or the cities via the railroad. As with CA, there were lots of cattle in TX after the WBTS, but they weren't worth anything till driven to the railhead.

The whole thing is intertwined. But the pioneers needed provable title to the lands they settled. Which means government.

Roads, canals and railroads require eminent domain, or they won't be built.

No business can thrive without some minimal level of law and order and enforcement of contracts, which again means government.

Without government subsidy, the transcontinental railroad would not have been built for decades after it was.

Inventors needed copyright and patent protection to allow them to enjoy the fruits of their creativity. That's government.

Most if not all bridges were paid for by one or another level of government.

You got me with the airplane. Invented by solo operators. But most of the technical advances in airplanes have been funded by government, primarily during wartime.

22 posted on 11/01/2014 9:55:01 AM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: Sherman Logan

Look up “Broken Windows Fallacy”. Bastiat should be taught in every college today.


25 posted on 11/01/2014 11:23:28 AM PDT by Jan_Sobieski (Sanctification)
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