@dave there's so much misleading or flat out wrong with this piece. It has a lot of misstatement of history and the role that universities and other academic institutions have played in human history.

Just to touch on one thing, universities generally don't deliver final, marketable products. That's not their role to play, neither historically nor practically. They are good at fundamental research, but not at the consumer facing execution side.

The problem is, holding them up as these great consumerist providers can play precisely against the goal of promoting their government support. It's better just to be honest about what they do and do not provide.