Negative cash flow or not, the purchase of the GM Building is a clear-headed endorsement of the value of a trophy building from a blue-chip public real estate company known for its own high-stakes gambles on leading-edge properties.

FORBES: GM Building Sale Shows REIT Resurgence

Proposals typically focus on building public computer centers and educating people about the value of broadband.

FORBES: New Survey Calls Government Broadband Goals Wimpy

Keynesian economics, which preceded neoclassical economics as a guiding principle in the United States for nearly 40 years, championed a vision where the public and private sectors played complementary roles in building value in the economy.

FORBES: Corporate America and Its Leaders: They Had Help

But what I believe we are good at is building companies that we can be proud of, that have considerable intrinsic value, and that the public are pleased to come into contact with.

ECONOMIST: Branson replies