Comments About Monopolies Related to Broadband is Misdirected
Anonymous posts, "Our landline is with Verizon, the sole provider in this area. They can't be arsed to roll out broadband... Free market? Competition? Like fuck, none of that applies, nor has it ever applied. Anyone who thinks the capitalist ideal is in force and "the market will provide" should be secured in a straitjacket and locked in a rubber room. "
That is most likely untrue.
Satellite high-speed internet access is just about everywhere. Most places around the U.S. have cable providers offering high-speed internet. More recently, WiMax high-speed internet is being offered all over the place! Also, 3G high-speed internet from regular cell phone providers is showing up for internet access. Also PCS high-speed internet access is also being offered.
If an anonymous poster suggests they ONLY has Verizon POTS line as an option in the U.S. - I highly suspect that the anonymous person has not looked around, at all, or has some other agenda. I bet Mr. Anonymous is crying about internet access from Verion while having cell, cable, as well as satellite service from their house!
Drop the socialist agenda, stop crying, and get high-speed internet access from another vendor!
Author quotes, "Once taken, government funds incite a 'mob mentality' that could preclude sponsoring golf tournaments or giving executives bonuses, for fear of political backlash."
This is the huge factor.
Once the socialists and fascists in the U.S. Government figured out that they could give money to provate industries, take them over, kick out CEO's, artificially limit pay, and otherwise coerse the private entities through the executive branch without rule of law.
The combination of socialism and fascism in the U.S. has been a pretty scary over the past 12 months. If I was a business, I would stay away from handouts from the U.S. Federal Government - the track record of what has happened to those who had accepting funding, most recently, has been very bad.