Almost all of these innovations came out of the Defense Department, the military, the space program. So in some ways, one could say we have, you know, it used to be just the military industrial complex. Trump is unlearning the Silicon Valley story at the same time that China is learning it. That should be a big worry for Americans interested in competitiveness.
Economist and author Mariana Mazzucato talks about her book The Value of Everything with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Mazzucato argues that economists have mismeasured value and have failed to appreciate the role of government as innovator. She argues for a more active role for government in the innovation process and for government to share in revenue proportional to its role in the creation of new technology.