Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) has harshly criticized proposed GOP spending cuts, explaining that such budget reductions are likely to threaten future government tech achievements like “inventing” the Internet.
“[Sure], a lot of people don’t [really] think about that,” Kerry said during a recent floor speech.
“But the fact is the government invented the Internet.”
Kerry noted the original concept of a worldwide ‘Net was first thought up by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), which was primarily concerned with maintaining a viable communications system in the case of a nuclear war with the Soviet Union.
“The private sector saw the opportunities and took those opportunities and translated them into what we have today, which has revolutionized the way people communicate and do business.”
The senator also emphasized that government-funded programs have helped create “millions” of jobs by generation new products, such as Gore-Tex, microwave tech and Teflon.
“[The proposed $57 billion cuts will] do great harm to our country because it strips away our ability to be able to create the future, research and development in technology [and] R&D in science,” he added.
(Via The Hill)
