When we think about our biggest issues as a nation, technology policy rarely surfaces to the top of people's lists - it's typically things like foreign policy, the economy, or education. And rightly so, since they're important topics. But when you really think about it, the way our country approaches technology has a profound not only on our daily lives, but on who we are as a country.
Lawrence Lessig, a Stanford Law professor and technology advocate (not to mention personal hero) has a fantastic video about two major issues and why we need to care.
- In relation to other countries, the U.S.has terrible broadband penetration. We now rank #22 in the world. Republicans (including McCain) have pushed through policies that do little to incentivize large, monopolistic providers to offer better service and access to everyone.
- Internet Service Providers want to control how people use the Internet. Republicans (including McCain) have fought Network Neutrality, which would give consumers the right to use the Internet as they want.
(via Lessig.org)
I believe that we need a change in direction in Internet policy. We need to provide everyone access to the world's greatest resource. We need to preserve our freedoms for choosing how to use the Internet.
We need a president who doesn't call himself "computer illiterate," even after leading the congressional committee that writes technology policy.
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