roundtable: Re: I actually agree with Gin...

roundtable: Re: I actually agree with Gin...

Re: I actually agree with Gin...

Mary Gardiner Jones (mgjones@apt.org)
Tue, 14 Feb 1995 12:51:35 -0500 (EST) 

Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 12:51:35 -0500 (EST)
From: Mary Gardiner Jones <mgjones@apt.org>
Subject: Re: I actually agree with Gin...
To: roundtable@cni.org
In-Reply-To: <950210100500_17971582@aol.com>
Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9502141223.A7722-0100000@idi.net>


Just a footnote to Paul's observations about giving terminals away. 
Remember Eastman Koday eventually virtually gave the camera away in order 
to sell film, ditto Gillette which gives the razor away in order to sell 
the blades. We should try to persuade the carriers to do the same thing 
in order to sell usage or the information providers in order to sell 
their services and products.

Mary Gardiner Jones
Alliance for Public Technology (APT)	|   Internet:	mgjones@apt.org


On Tue, 14 Feb 1995 RznDemoPM@aol.com wrote:
> 
> On Sat, 4 Feb 1995, Mike W. Perry wrote:
> > 
> > >GINGRICH ON INTERNET AND HEALTH
> > >U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich says:  "There's no reason, in the age
> > >of the Internet, that if you have a disease you can't access the
> > >information personally, you can't learn about it personally -- I'm
> > >going to tell you, I've had several friends die of pancreatic and liver
> > >cancer. And several friends whose children were born with very unusual
> > >problems. The sophisticated ones ... learn an immense amount on their
> > >own... That will cause a revolution and will lower the cost of health
> > >care." (New York Times 1/31/95 A8)  EDUPAGE 1/31/95
> 
> 
> No reason, except, of course, the cost of internet access, i.e. the 
> political economy of the real world.  If we redirected the military 
> budget to building public infrasturcture for the 21st Century, then 
> Newt's suggestion makes perfect sense.  This means GIVING people 
> computers with modems, not tax credits.  GIVING them basic level 
> non-commercial accounts.  And for those without a home (and therefore 
> without an outlet & phone line to plug into) it means GIVING them a 
> home.  All this would cost much less than our current military budget & 
> would do much more to promote national security.  
> 
> Otherwise, Newt's suggestion is just another example of construing 
> "average Americans" in terms of the interests, life experience and 
> opportunities of the privileged.  Remember, this is the guy who referred 
> to himself as "poor" a couple of weeks ago--surely the first "poor" man 
> to be Speaker of the House.
> 
> Paul Rosenberg
> Committee to Save Public Media
> Reason & Democracy
> <rzndemopm@aol.com>

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