French Government Online-Why Isn't the U.S.?

DullTrev asks: "Looks like the French are pushing forward once again with their online government plans. The BBC News site has this article about the new portal about to be launched. The article says the portal 'will give every citizen a personal internet portal allowing them to pay taxes online, register a child for a state school, or be reminded that their regulatory car inspection is due in a month's time'. The UK government has had this portal up for a while, and are steadily expanding their services. This is all within the EU government systems that are (not surprisingly) encouraging online government all over the place. How does this kind of thing compare to the US?"

Comments

The French don't know who the enemy is

[h00pla]

thanks for your offer of troops and planes now that all the fighting is done!
Yeh, I saw a news story on France3 rebroadcast on EuroNews the other day. Basically complaining about the Americans the whole time. In the end I wasn't convinced that the France3 reporter knew what we're all supposed to be fighting (that is, terrorism and not ego battles). I hate to generalize about the French after years of living abroad, but deal with them is their love of "protagonism" and then the typical complaining when they aren't leading the orchestra

Not in an atmosphere of heightened security

[tibbetts]

Even if there weren't stagging bureaucratic obstacles to bringing more of the US goverment's functions online, you'd have a hard time convincing the paranoid in government to do so. When the National Security Adviser asks the media not to play Bin Laden's speeches on the news, when the FAA, NRC, and other agencies are pulling all but the most basic information from their web sites, the last thing on any lawmaker's or agency's agendas is to put more information online.

Why Isnt US?

[nexex]

Simple, the French have the Coneheads to hook them up! Remember, "We come from France!" It's much easier to accomplish such things when you have a more technologically advanced alien helping you!

Re:The US is working on this

[Seanasy]

This is a joke, right? Right?!!! ...

Re:EU report on "connected" governments

[DGolden]

It's just a shame the Irish public can't get a decent internet connection from anyone. Fuck you very much, eircom!

Re:Whooo there...

[Kymermosst]

At the expense of getting marked as flamebait and losing some karma...

Your people are still pretty cocky, no?

The last time I checked, a successful invasion results in an extended occupation. That clearly did not happen in 1812. We booted your ass back to Britain yet again.

So you see, we tell the story a bit differently here.

And for the record, after having participated with the British military in joint field exercises, it's a miracle they won ANY war. Nothing like hearing someone whine in a thick British accent "that wire ripped my trousers and I'm bleeding!"

And the U.K. hasn't been invaded since 1066 because the rest of the world decided it was better to try bomb you into submission rather than occupy you. Seems you don't have much in useful natural resources. (Oil, valuable metals, etc.)

I think your attitude toward the U.S. is a direct result of subtle social conditioning brought about by the fact that your royals are still pissed that we got away.

Re:England != UK

[Kymermosst]

And I could make myself a hero among all the Welsh, Scottish, and Irish by slapping your queen across the face.

Re:US Population: 285 million; France: 58 million

[tyrannical666]

French, the only people more hated then Americans.