A time ago I played with a linux box and 4 cable modem (each had a different IP). It just were a load balancing with the kernel routing tables. I remember that BitTorrent was the sole thing where I could get the total speed being the sum of each link. The problem was that the routes are cached by session (dhost, dport I think) so parallel HTTP/FTP download of a file would go through the same link. However, routes expiring gave me problems with some services which doesn't like your IP to change.
But we have free health care, free universities, almost all of the service bills subsidized as well as urban transport, private schools, soccer broadcast, LCD's, the catholic church, etc.