Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Thomas Friedman, "Obama’s Moment": Pornography Can Be Viewed Over the Web With Blinding Speed

In his latest New York Times op-ed entitled "Obama’s Moment" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/opinion/friedman-obamas-moment.html?_r=0), Thomas Friedman marvels at Chattanooga's "gigabit-per-second fiber-optic network." Friedman gushes:

"That network was fully completed thanks to $111 million in stimulus money. Imagine that we get a grand bargain in Washington that also includes a stimulus of just $20 billion to bring the 200 biggest urban areas in America up to Chattanooga’s standard. You’d see a 'melt-up' in the U.S. economy. We are so close to doing something big and smart. Somebody needs to tell the Congress."

Ah yes, a "melt-up" on the way: Faster Internet, digital cameras with more pixels, computer chips with enhanced memories. Sure, there can be no comparing computer games with what what existed a decade ago, and pornography can now be viewed over the Web with blinding speed, but job creation? How many people are capable of making use of this technological advance at the workplace?

Me? I would be delighted if the Long Island Railroad, in existence some 180 years, could be made to run on time.

Welcome to our Brave New World.

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