The Problem with DHS's Plan to 'Buy American'

An anonymous reader points out a Cnet report on the Homeland Security Authorization Act, which would require that more than 50 percent of the components in any end product bought by the Department of Homeland Security be produced or manufactured in the U.S., writing "The Pentagon has agreements with 21 countries that waive the act, but an amendment that just passed the House would prevent the DHS from waiving the 'Buy American' restrictions. "The president of the Information Technology Association of America observed that this means the DHS may 'have to learn to do without computers and cell phones,' since he could not think of any manufacturers of those devices that would meet the 50% threshold."

Comments

Hmmmm

[ShatteredDream]

I guess you can't have the Total Information Awareness project if they can't buy any computers since all of the hardware is made in Taiwan...

Re:The problem really is

[ta ma de]

I posted this in an above thread and thought it could go here too.

I thought I was the only one this cynical. I have gone back to school to earn a second B.S., my third college degree -- I already hold a B.S. and a M.A. In addition to the science and math curriculum I'm studying Chinese; for reasons that you should find self-evident. I was in Beijing in 2000 and have friends who have been to China even more recently and it is clear that the well paying and rewarding work is already-in or will be in Asia. And when I'm done with school I will hold a B.S in Fine Arts and Communications, a M.A in Design and Writing, a B.S. in Math and Chemistry, a Ph.D in Computational Chemistry and speak fluent Mandarin. And that will qualify me to go anywhere I damn well please and earn a good living, which will likely not be in my country of origin; USA.