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Nullius in verba
You overlooked "beyond the initial investment" that means those gov't projects created wealth beyond their cost and some exponentially so such as DARPA & the interstate highway system. Your wholly private enterprise utopia doesn't. The Defense (Offense) Department alone swallows up > 1/2 of the discretionary budget to the Republicans glee I might add.
Where is the evidence that DARPA or the Interstate highway system created any net wealth whatsoever? In the first place, you're ignoring all the wealth they destroyed. For instance, the interstate highways put the railroads out of business in the passenger business and a large part of the freight business, and the railroads don't cost the taxpayers a friggin dime.
What has DARPA produced that created any wealth?
Are you actually claiming that private enterprise doesn't produce wealth? Take a look around at the stuff in your house. That is real wealth. private enterprise produces virtually all of it.
Government is a black hole for wealth.
To start with the highway system, the railroads "don't cost the taxpayers a friggin dime" until you realize a large portion of their development came from government land preferences and in the case of the South, public construction of track. Beyond that, the interstate system was definitely helped boost economic growth. During the first two decades after construction, studies estimate the system caused a 25-30% growth in productivity. It also significantly lowered production and distribution costs.
As for DARPA, I think it would be pretty hard to argue the internet hasn't been a source of wealth.
That bripat isn't aware/refuses to accept the enormous amount of input into the creation of what today is known as the internet, isn't surprising LOL. He's a lock-step, conservative.