Government funded research in most capitalist countries does little to advance our lifestyles. It mostly advances the scientists lifestyles. Most scientists are largely out for headlines for their next grant.
R+D in real commercial type companies does further our way of life.
Rubbish! You've actually managed to annoy me with this statement. A grand unified theory is necessary for a true understanding of our world and the advances in this field come from government fuded sources. From the papermate pen and odour eaters to advances in aviation safety, all are derived from government funded space research. In fact NASA alone has filed over 6300 patents in the US and even produces a jounal (Spinoff) that highlights the diffusion of these patents into everyday items. Quantum research has resulted in more efficient fuels, batteries even improvements in the laser technologies used by optical drives. Do I need to go on, I could ram this point home but a google search on the benefits of government research would do just as well. Or try NASA and the Institute Of Physics own websites.
As for commercial ventures, they also give us intensive farming techniques for pigs that have resulted in devastation for many of the US fish stocks and lets not forget philidimide. Never loose sight of the fact that companies serve only to increase cash flow for shareholders, this brings us benefits at times but it also serves to pack our food with chemical crap and make drugs for fictitious mental illness among other ills.
