Also, increase the NSF and NIH budgets for basic research.

Cut social security benefits for everyone under 50 now, raise the retirement age a couple years and levy the ss tax on higher incomes (over $250k/yr). Yes, I know not a tech issue but ss and medicare need serious reform before the boomers bankrupt the system.

My view of Mr. Andreessen has seriously gone down, does he really think that the Great USA should take all the educated people, especially from the poor countries, so that the rich can get richer and the poor get poorer?

I thought Mr. Andreessen, given his background and assumed intelligence, had a global view rather than this ‘us and them’ backwards view he seems to have let slip.

I hope “Error-proof voting machines” came up.

There should be at least one non-academic, non-executive engineer on the FCC, and at DoL, DHS, DoJ, DoD… but I doubt they’d have much impact.

There should be more competition in telecomm, and less regulated/protected monopoly in utilities of all kinds. This would open up the way for increased band-width all across the country.

So, largely, I’m agreeing with Morgan. These are all problems created by past and current government meddling, so the correction is to reduce the government meddling, get them out of these areas in such a way as to increase REAL competition, and leave US citizens alone to work them out the rest of the way.

The problem is not politics per se. Its the fact that the money is deciding things.

This will not change until you can actually specify who you want to represent you. And then actually getting your interests represented by your choice.

We need to rethink this system. Technology is just one area where we are missing the opportunities and/or ignoring serious threats to our future.

Cheap Useless third worlders ..hmmm.. That is a very strong word. I bet one or two gens back , your DNA also originated from one of those useless third worlds .

And if you do not know, here also there is absolutely amazing contributions for inventors. Invent something yourself and you can find that out. Or do a Google which alas is also sprung from the minds of some third worlder(s)

In any case, they’re all important, but the copyright thing is getting out of hand. Yesterday The Consumerist reported that the MPAA is now claiming that they shouldn’t need to proof to sue you. Who do these people think they are?! They must believe that they’re God or something.

That attitude made me want to make a few copies just for spite. I’ve never done it, but I’m willing to just for the principle of the matter.

The article is here:
http://consumer...roof-to-sue-you

“Hired to invent” is the equivalent of communism for inventors. A fixed salary is a disincentive, as one maximizes return on work by doing the least amount of work. For ex., if you make 2 G’s/week and fuck off for 39 hours, then you make 2 G’s/man-hour of work; but if you work 40 hours, then your return on work is only $50/man-hour of work. This logical analysis guides most scientists, who are very logical.

Without new industries protected by patent and the nearly 20 year headstart afforded by patent protection, static, uninnovative businesses are forced to compete on the basis of labor costs alone, and the US loses in this competition, which has led to the present policy of inundating the US with legal and illegal immigrants to drive down wages for global competition.

We owed much of our 20th century primacy to great inventors like Thomas Edison, and it is shameful that we treat scientists and engineers as a cheap commodity, bringing in hordes of cheap (and useless) third worlders to ruin job markets.

The public owns the airwaves, these companies just rent them.

What the fuck are you talking about?

The Federal Communications Commission is going to do what about energy?

Um…yeah.

Only reason I asked for one is because the polling software we use only allows one vote per person.