[parineum]

> Why not Apple and Nvidia fund the next particle collider, and give something back to society instead of letting tax payers fund it so billionaires can privatize the profits?

Where do you think that tax money comes from?

Apple and Nvidia are creating the economies that produce tax revenue at every step of the way.

[awkwardleon]

I believe the point was these companies benefited greatly and specifically from basic research funded by the government: they should therefore "give back" in kind (vs simply contributing to the tax base and relying on a government to figure out what to fund). The reality is these companies care only about shareholder value, and the current US administration has been terminating grants and cutting funding in basic research. I think it's fair to question, in this environment, what these companies' ethical responsibilities really should be.

[bigfudge]

Yeah, except corporations don’t pay tax like they did in the 50s and 60s…