Government’s role is to provide the opportunity for massive advances in technology [..]
Um, no.
Government's role is to ensure that its citizens are safe from attack (and unjust prejudice), are adequately educated, do not drop of hunger or rampant disease, and have access to infrastructure that is adequate for the load it is subject to.
Anything else is mostly a justification that Government has too much money to play with, and should pare down the taxes to leave research institutes and corporations to care for technological advances. Those entities are more engaged in advancing things since they intend to profit from it, profit that Government will skim the top off of in order to ensure funding for the required infrastructure.
Government's work is already cut out for it, no need to go adding more things which will only serve as troughs for the few to put their snouts in.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
