Category: government

“How much longer will America lead?”

On By Rick McIn bad news, governmentLeave a comment

SafariScreenSnapz002.pngI’ve suggested 2025 as the date when everyone will agree that the USA is no longer the “world leader”. But perhaps it will be sooner.

Dvorak Uncensored » How much longer will America lead?! Public Unaware of Realities

The internet is the best hope for the future, but America seems bent on squandering their seemingly insurmountable lead in this field. If I were Google or Yahoo, I’d be looking to move offshore.

The main problem seems to be the legislative process in the USA. Lobbyists for corporations vie to get legislation enacted for the short-term interests of their shareholders. No one in the US government seems to be protecting free enterprise, free markets, and innovation.

The Bush Republicans are dead in the water, trying to deflect public attention from important issues like Health Care to hot button topics like same sex marriage. It’s embarrassing.

I admire what the USA has done to further democracy, freedom and entrepreneurship in the past. America has been the best country in the world since 1900.

But how much longer?

Tiananmen Square Massacre, June 4th, 1989

On By Rick McIn government, photosLeave a comment

No one understands better the importance of symbolic imagery than totalitarian governments. One day this photo will be revered in China.

I am hopeful that democratization will start in earnest immediately after the 2008 Olympics. Current leadership should be finalizing exit plans.

Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Unknown Rebel – AP photographer Jeff Widener. A lone protester delayed the tanks for over half an hour.

want to patrol the Mexican border?

On By Rick McIn government, humourLeave a comment

“Texas plans to enlist web users worldwide in its fight against illegal immigration by offering live surveillance footage of the Mexican border on the internet.

The cameras will be trained on sections of the 1,000-mile (1,600km) border known to be favoured by illegal immigrants. Web users who spot a suspicious crossing will be able to alert the authorities by telephoning a number free of charge.”

we make money not art: Web users to patrol US borders

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mainstream media left to play catch-up

On By Rick McIn government, humourLeave a comment

Technorati Weblog: Stephen Colbert: Bloggers 1, Mainstream Media 0

“Stephen Colbert” and “Colbert” have been the top Technorati searches all week, which is a nice real-life example of how mainstream media and the blogosphere are SO different.

Colbert at the White House Correspondents Dinner

On By Rick McIn government, humour, TVLeave a comment

ColbertPresident Not Amused.

Despite a shaky start, Stephen Colbert’s spin-off late night Comedy Central TV show is now more essential viewing than The Daily Show with John Stewart.

Colbert pretends to be a rabid right wing pro-Bush TV talk show host. And he is hilarious.

George Bush has probably never seen Colbert’s show. But he knows the routine now after being nuked by Colbert at the annual dinner for political correspondents dinner.

Highlights on the Editor&Publisher website.

Google in China

On By Rick McIn economics, government, product complaintsLeave a comment

Here is a lengthy NY Times article digging into the Google compromise in China:

Google’s China Problem (and China’s Google Problem)

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It is a complex story. I think Google is doing the right thing.

Yahoo was first into China. But Google was far more successful when they first entered the market.

Suddenly, Sept. 3, 2002, Google results disappeared in China. Shut down completely by the government. Many concluded that the action was instigated by Baidu, a Chinese competitor to Google.

A quarter of Baidu’s traffic comes from searching for unlicensed MP3’s — illegal in the USA.

After much consideration, Google opened Google.cn in January 2006. Try it yourself. Search for “Human Rights” and see what you get. The results are self-censored in compliance with Chinese law.

Google.com is still open in China. The same search results as we get here. But when you try to click on a “banned” link, you get an error page. All of wikipedia.com is unavailable, for example.

One Chinese dissident in the article ranks Google best. Then Microsoft. But calls Yahoo! a sell-out.

So, should Google have simply dropped out of the Chinese market? (That’s what Apple is going to do in France, unwilling to modify their service to comply with French law.)

What do you think? (Do you own stock in Google?)

what is “net neutrality”?

On By Rick McIn economics, government, internetLeave a comment

Click on the (ugly looking) video below for a quick overview:

In China the internet is censored. The Chinese suffer under totalitarian control.

Of course I assume the crazy American Congress can be bought off by lobbyists. They might enact any kind of goofy legislation.

Gladly I live in a free country?

SaveTheInternet.com provides more information.

hhmmmm …

They claim Canada’s least favourite company — Telus— blocked Internet customers from visiting a website sympathetic to workers with whom Telus was negotiating.

And Shaw, a major Canadian cable company, charges an extra $10 a month to subscribers who dare to use a competing Internet telephone service.

HEY. Those are my Internet Service Providers!

Who is defending net neutrality in Canada?

politics – Ralph Klein resigns

On By Rick McIn governmentLeave a comment

RalphEnd of an era.

King Ralph, the dominant local politician in my lifetime was ousted early. He will be gone likely by the end of December, 2006. He was first elected Premier in 1992.

I have a soft spot for Ralph Klein. He supported our gymnastics competitions when he was mayor of Calgary in 1980. A real people’s politiician.

Shame he did not read the writing on the wall. A sad end to a unique, controversial career.

Ralph Klein – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

new Bolivian president cuts his own salary

On By Rick McIn economics, government1 Comment

The Bush speech writers will likely tone down the emphasis on democracy after Hamas got elected in Palestine and an extreme Socialist was elected in a Bolivian landslide.

Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia, took immediate steps to make his mark. He should — the average Bolivian president remains in office less than a year!

It’s a brave gesture. But to me this looks like another chapter in the history of doomed socialist experiments.

Consider building tourism instead, Mr. Morales. Look to Peru.

CNN.com – Bolivian president gives teachers half his pay – Jan 27, 2006