TECHNOLOGICAL INHERITANCE BELONGS TO ALL OF US

[David Farber <farber@central.cis.upenn.edu>]

TECHNOLOGICAL INHERITANCE BELONGS TO ALL OF US
In October's "Technology Review," Gar Alperovitz argues that the $8 billion
in Bill Gates' bank account was derived through thousands of links in a
chain of technological development, largely funded by government research.
"Plainly put, the way we allocate the benefits of present and past economic
activity that stem from the technological inheritance is irrational and
unjust." Alperovitz calls for a new economic system based on the notion of
common inheritance of wealth generated through government-funded R&D.
(Technology Review 10/94 p.31)