State of the (Tech) Union?
Jan 28, 2008
President Bush will deliver his State of the Union address to Congress tonight. And if past speeches are any indication, there won't be much talk about tech even though the economy is expected to be a key topic.
According to eWeek, "in his previous seven addresses to the nation--adding up to almost 34,000 words--the president has never uttered the words 'Internet,' 'broadband' or 'digital.' Wireless? Not a word. Spectrum? Not a single mention. Network neutrality? Forget it."
We've noticed a similar phenomenon in many of the presidential debates that have taken place thus far, which is why we're among those calling for ScienceDebate 2008. We are biased in favor of promoting a national discourse on tech policy. Still, in an increasingly digital world, it's hard to believe that political leaders would overlook such opportunities to address the role that technology plays in our lives.
We'll be watching tonight to see if we're pleasantly surprised.
For more, check out this post by Adam Thierer of the Progress & Freedom Foundation. Thierer, who is quoted in the eWeek article, will be among the speakers at Tech Policy Summit in March.
Tags:
2008 elections, Congress, President Bush, tech policy
