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Comment by alanstorm | Hacker News Reader

It's nice to see some governments recognizing that something which was once a luxury is now becoming a necessity as offline alternative for mandatory services (paying bills, job searching, etc) get stripped down or removed entirely.

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A car used to be a luxury, now it's a necessity.

Do you think owning a car is a legal right?

That must really depend on where you live. I don't own a road registered car, and feel no ill effects because of it.

Irrespective of whether you believe governments should play a role, this is the wrong comparison to make. Governments don't provide the cars, they provide the roads.

Similarly Finland's government isn't proposing giving everyone computers - they want to make sure everyone has access to the infrastructure.

You're right. I understand and agree with your point.

Thanks

This is also important in Australia where the population is mostly clumped in cities along the coasts. Without similar thinking, broadband in "the bush" would simply be unavailable or prohibitively expensive.

I'm sure Finland like Sweden has public transportation going virtually everywhere already. A car isn't a necessity, transportation is.

I live in Portland, so I'm questioning your premise off the bat. :) I'd say freedom of movement and the ability to reasonably exercise that freedom is the right, which governments legally support by creating/maintaining/policing the roads.

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