"What's the old model: taking, hiding, roping, doping, selling one-offs into a fixed zero sum pie for the debasement of those playing the game. Truth has no place in this model. Versions of truth are used by opposing sides to advance competing agendas. With few exceptions, politics and power prevail.
Arnie, you know and respect the old model. You almost have to rewire your brain to understand the REAL truth and power behind the internet model."
To say that the "old model" is a zero sum game is to say that you don't understand the so-called old model. The truth is that business has always been a wealth creating system in this country. How else can one explain the past wealth creating power of railroads, steel, autos, main frame computers, personal computers and, now, wireless telephones and the internet.
As for truth, the internet has no corner on truth; lies spread as fast as truth. If you doubt that, check out the Drudge Report or, closer to home, this thread and the NXTL thread on Yahoo. Users/buyers/manipulators must still make the basic decision about the quality of information. In other words, the internet is not a new model but rather an improvement over the existing model in the same way that the car was an improvement over the horse. However, while the horse disappeared as a regular means of transportation, it's unclear to what extent the present retailing model will be replaced by the internet.
As to the internet & wireless telephones improving mankind, that may be true to the extent of "wiring" the world and speeding the transfer of information but the basic goodness/badness of mankind comes from an entirely different place - the soul of each individual. We each have the capacity for maximum goodness and maximum badness. We must choose. So the internet will provide crooks of every stripe with the same opportunities as the good guys.
The following may sound like a criticism of CM but it isn't. CM can say whatever he wants about his motives for building a wireless world, but it all comes down to two things: The opportunity to make money and the challenge of doing something that hasn't been done before - IOW winning. The rest is just malarkey because without the former two, the latter (benefitting mankind) wouldn't be given a second thought. If you want to know about CW's interest in mankind, look at where he puts his charitable dollars.
As to NXTL, I agree with you that eventually investors will realize how bright NXTL's star is and will be for the foreseeable future.
Arnie |
