US Slips in Technology Rankings
A few days ago, I read a disturbing article on CNN:
The United States is no longer No. 1 in making the best use of information and communications technologies (ICT), a
new study says. It dropped to fifth place this year and Singapore is now on top.
Singapore's ranking in the so-called "Networked Readiness Index" was based on several factors, including quality of
math and science education and low prices for telephone and Internet services, said the World Economic Forum report.
"Singapore's remarkable performance is a consequence of the government's consistent and continuous efforts" to foster
the technology, the report said...
The United States' drop from first place last year "is less due to actual erosion in performance" than to the
improvement of other countries, the report said.
Amid this backdrop, Bush is making budget cuts in Technology. Kos reports:
the Bush budget calls for drastically underfunding science and technology. Bush's science and technology budget
would drop from an estimated $61.7 billion in fiscal year 2005 to $60.8 billion in 2006. The science and technology
budget includes programs such as space exploration, renewable energy, and agricultural research, as well as
technology-related research and development at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Things like this are just incomprehensible to me. Throughout human history, the dominant societies have always been the most technologically advanced. Yet Bush thinks that giving a tax cut to those who don't need it is more important than the US remaining at the top of the technological world, a fall that will, over the next few decades, will hurt our entire society, including those for whom bush is cutting taxes.
At a time like this, America needs a rural electrification-type program to bring high speed internet to every region of the country, a massive investment in high-speed rail, intracity rail, research, renewable energy and EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. By not doing this we are just inviting the decline and end of the American glory days and a global power vacumn that has a good chance of being filled by an authoritan government, AKA China. Is this a good long-term strategy for America? I don't think so.
The United States is no longer No. 1 in making the best use of information and communications technologies (ICT), a
new study says. It dropped to fifth place this year and Singapore is now on top.
Singapore's ranking in the so-called "Networked Readiness Index" was based on several factors, including quality of
math and science education and low prices for telephone and Internet services, said the World Economic Forum report.
"Singapore's remarkable performance is a consequence of the government's consistent and continuous efforts" to foster
the technology, the report said...
The United States' drop from first place last year "is less due to actual erosion in performance" than to the
improvement of other countries, the report said.
Amid this backdrop, Bush is making budget cuts in Technology. Kos reports:
the Bush budget calls for drastically underfunding science and technology. Bush's science and technology budget
would drop from an estimated $61.7 billion in fiscal year 2005 to $60.8 billion in 2006. The science and technology
budget includes programs such as space exploration, renewable energy, and agricultural research, as well as
technology-related research and development at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Things like this are just incomprehensible to me. Throughout human history, the dominant societies have always been the most technologically advanced. Yet Bush thinks that giving a tax cut to those who don't need it is more important than the US remaining at the top of the technological world, a fall that will, over the next few decades, will hurt our entire society, including those for whom bush is cutting taxes.
At a time like this, America needs a rural electrification-type program to bring high speed internet to every region of the country, a massive investment in high-speed rail, intracity rail, research, renewable energy and EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. By not doing this we are just inviting the decline and end of the American glory days and a global power vacumn that has a good chance of being filled by an authoritan government, AKA China. Is this a good long-term strategy for America? I don't think so.
posted by Rich at 11:14 AM
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