"Here we are 17 years later. Those agencies never did come through"

This quote by Jeremy Rifkin is describing a scenario that took place 17 years earlier. It appears that he was anticipating some kind of help or assistance from particular companies, but they never ever came through. This might be analyzed as a cautioning to not rely too heavily on outdoors help, as it may not always be readily available. It might likewise be translated as a criticism of the firms in question, as they failed to deliver on their guarantees. It might likewise be interpreted as a suggestion to not quit hope, as even after 17 years, the circumstance might still be able to be dealt with. Eventually, this quote works as a suggestion that we need to not rely too greatly on outside aid, and that we must never ever quit hope.