The tech giants -- Microsoft, Amazon, Google, etc. -- did not depend on an infusion of cash from governments to become leaders. Although there are likely exceptions, governments tend to do poorly when picking winners and losers. My guess is that China's major gains in A.I. will occur from spycraft, in other words, stealing the intellectual property from companies in the West.

It sounds to me like the demand is getting into the "takings clause" territory, which prevents private property from being used for public purposes without just compensation. I'm guessing the reason it would cost so much is because Google doesn't want to return a simple "SELECT GENDER, SALARY FROM EMPLOYEES", but provide more detailed information that it believes supports its position.

It seems to me that the imposition of price caps acts as a barrier to new competitors. It's just another form of rent control. With the pricing cap gone, prices would almost certainly rise in the short term, and this would lure new providers into the marketplace. This is exactly what happened to American oil producers when world oil prices rose sharply a couple years ago.

Have I missed a change in law? My understanding is that phone companies, ISPs, etc., are not responsible for what is carried on their network because they are considered "common carriers". However, it seems to me that the more a company "curates" the content it carries, the greater the responsibility it has for that content. I'm wondering whether Twitter has stepped into a huge legal minefield by effectively censoring content that is not clearly illegal.

If Hillary wins, but Republicans keep control of Congress, Kaine will become president in a year or two, if Nixon's career is any guide. Of course, if the Dems win everything, then the troubles will go away, and she'll probably be able to serve two terms, barring issues with her health.

Alternatively, you're not as smart as you think you are.

Racist, stoopid Trump has once again seen and voiced what politicians are loathe to even acknowledge.

Exactly. In a democracy, the successful politician is the one who gets the most support. In other words, he appeals to the lowest common denominator. If Hawking has such an odd comprehension of politics, I think we also need to look more critically at his opinion of Brexit.

You mean the data that suppressionists are withholding?

Sorry, you lose. Suppression of data is a huge red flag.

Funny. The other day someone on TV was saying that in America you still have the right to be obnoxious. Did he and I both miss the memo where Freedom of Speech is still Free, but only as long as you say the right things?"

A reference to Pratchett/Gaiman's 'Good Omens', btw, and essential reading.

I'm sure this is an ongoing issue, but given that FOSS database alternatives are available, can you tell us where it is that DB/2 (and presumably Oracle, etc.) vastly outclasses these alternatives to the extent that your company is willing to pay serious coin to use? Is Postgres, for example, simply unable to keep up with high throughput demands?

Programmers are taught to code for a specific, well-defined objective, whereas untrained ordinary folk think more along the lines of "do what I mean". Recently, however, through the ACA state funding case, decided that what is *said* is immaterial, and that the law should reflect what Congress obviously *meant*. In other words, "do what I mean". Given this, language is no longer important, and it is up to the high priests of the US Supreme Court to view the auguries to determine true meaning. In other words, thanks to the Supreme Court it is not programmers that are needed, but magicians.

Even having a physical object is not proof that it is the original. Moreover, I submit that even backups of purported original texts of the Library of Alexandria, for example, would be extremely informative, especially when the only other options is nothing.