Estonia: Where the Internet is a Human Right

securitas writes "The Christian Science Monitor reports on technological change in Estonia, where an enlightened post-Soviet era government believes the Internet is essential for life in the 21st century and backs that up with legislation declaring Internet access is a human right. Estonia is a country where hot, running water was a luxury a decade ago. It's now a place where farmers have broadband Internet, 80% of the people use online banking, Internet usage and broadband penetration rates are comparable to Western Europe, and the government conducts most business (meetings, votes, document reviews, etc.) virtually through a system of networked computers. Not bad for a country that only 10 years ago was a crumbling, bankrupt mess with a network infrastructure to match."

Comments

yes but

[Anonymous Coward]

Ask the Russians in Estonia about human rights

Heh... the circle is complete.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yugoslavia: From hosting the Olympics, to a complete crap-hole in 10 years.

Estonia: From complete crap-hole, to "hosting" the Olympics [of website hacking] in 10 years.

Somebody cue up that Elton John song from The Lion King, will ya?

Re:an Estonians viewpoint

[sheldon]

often you have to wait for over 2 months for a dentist's appointment, for example

Hmm, sounds like America. That is, if you can find a dentist willing to accept new patients from the particular medical plan you have.

So consider yourself fortunate, because America has the best damn health care industry in the world!

Re:A further comment

[arivanov]

You meant fashist aparteid whores. Right?

After all this is a country that has a racial purity law and fines its cittizens the equivalent of 1000 dollars for merrying unsuitable foreigners (russian or other ex-soviet block).

Before deciding that this is flamebait check their legal code. I know what I am talking about.

So invention of new human rights in estonia - give me a brak. Let them first give their cittizens back the most basic right - the right to chose a partner in life without government intervention.