Does anyone know what they are talking about? I've just read the article in question, and see nothing in it to say where exactly the imbalance lies.
It sounds like someone is of the opinion that infrastructure costs should somehow be shared on a global scale. i.e. If your country has poor telecoms - upgrade, then insist that international users pick up the cost of the technology. It's a nice idea but haven't we already paid our share in the excessive prices we pay as the early adopters of the technology. I'm sure that Africa is being ripped of by Amercia on a daily basis. So is India, Pakistan, Afghanistan (controversial?) Bangladesh, Eastern Europe, Taiwan, Thailand, China, Indonesia etc. etc.
Let's give them all telecoms services. Who cares who is right.
In fact, why stop at telecoms, why not include energy costs like oil, gas even nuclear plants as global responsibilities. Then move on to transport rail and road networks - anyone who's travelled through India by road will know how poor such things are. Then again why stop at just primary services, why not extend social services so that unemployed everywhere regardless of race or country of origin are entitled to housing, food and medical care.
In fact why not take the core doctrine of the American democratic system seriously. If all men are created equal and certain rights are held to be self-evident, how come this equality stops being self-evident once you cross the border into Mexico?
Sod Capitalism, it's only one political philosophy afterall. The idea that capitalism is something we should accept because it is such a huge force dominating every aspect of ourlives is at best defeatist and at worst blind idiocy. I believe in a free world, not one that charges you for what was there already.
Remember when the internet was touted as a means for potentially open everything. Open government, open access to knowledge, open expression of ideas and opinion, open source (Ha Ha). The free availability of information is a noble idea. Many of us who remember innocently believing that the internet would be a 'force for good' and the ultimate tool for the true empowerment of the people have been sorely disappointed.
It's not enough to hope that the masses will become skilled in the use of the internet and become geeks and gurus with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the mess that is the internet with some success. You have to act. Teach those who do not know. Show them the light at the end of the tunnel. Be the finger that points to the moon. Make a difference to the sad gits who spend thousands on 'state of the art' hardware because some dick of a salesman said they needed all that power to get the most out of 'the net'.
Capitalism is by definition exploitation. Don't sell your knowledge give it away. Change yourself and your surroundings first. Don't just sit about moaning and theorising .
DO SOMETHING.
Be positive a positive force for change not a whinging techy geek.
Slashdot Mirror
Does anyone know what they are talking about? I've just read the article in question, and see nothing in it to say where exactly the imbalance lies. It sounds like someone is of the opinion that infrastructure costs should somehow be shared on a global scale. i.e. If your country has poor telecoms - upgrade, then insist that international users pick up the cost of the technology. It's a nice idea but haven't we already paid our share in the excessive prices we pay as the early adopters of the technology. I'm sure that Africa is being ripped of by Amercia on a daily basis. So is India, Pakistan, Afghanistan (controversial?) Bangladesh, Eastern Europe, Taiwan, Thailand, China, Indonesia etc. etc. Let's give them all telecoms services. Who cares who is right. In fact, why stop at telecoms, why not include energy costs like oil, gas even nuclear plants as global responsibilities. Then move on to transport rail and road networks - anyone who's travelled through India by road will know how poor such things are. Then again why stop at just primary services, why not extend social services so that unemployed everywhere regardless of race or country of origin are entitled to housing, food and medical care. In fact why not take the core doctrine of the American democratic system seriously. If all men are created equal and certain rights are held to be self-evident, how come this equality stops being self-evident once you cross the border into Mexico?
Sod Capitalism, it's only one political philosophy afterall. The idea that capitalism is something we should accept because it is such a huge force dominating every aspect of ourlives is at best defeatist and at worst blind idiocy. I believe in a free world, not one that charges you for what was there already. Remember when the internet was touted as a means for potentially open everything. Open government, open access to knowledge, open expression of ideas and opinion, open source (Ha Ha). The free availability of information is a noble idea. Many of us who remember innocently believing that the internet would be a 'force for good' and the ultimate tool for the true empowerment of the people have been sorely disappointed. It's not enough to hope that the masses will become skilled in the use of the internet and become geeks and gurus with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the mess that is the internet with some success. You have to act. Teach those who do not know. Show them the light at the end of the tunnel. Be the finger that points to the moon. Make a difference to the sad gits who spend thousands on 'state of the art' hardware because some dick of a salesman said they needed all that power to get the most out of 'the net'. Capitalism is by definition exploitation. Don't sell your knowledge give it away. Change yourself and your surroundings first. Don't just sit about moaning and theorising . DO SOMETHING. Be positive a positive force for change not a whinging techy geek.