Does Washington want a strong tech industry? Our own Senator Feinstein regularly votes against the interests of Silicon Valley. I see a Washington with lots of enthusiasm for Military and Oil/Gas, but not much for Technology.
> Our own Senator Feinstein regularly votes against the interests of Silicon Valley
So when are you (plural you) going to put your money and your time where your mouths are and find someone to challenge her, including in the primaries?
Why should we have to outspend established industries just to have our voices heard? That sounds like a rigged game and a loosing battle to me. If any energy is to be spend addressing the issue it should be to route around these parasites, not greasing their wheels for adding no value to society.
Also, if the Mafia threatens to burn down your business, the proper response is not to call the police or pay the protection money, but to join the Mafia and reform the system from within. Right?
Seriously -- it's too late for that. These so-called "security" agencies and their sponsors in Congress have already ignored dozens of laws going all the way back to 1776. What's another law going to accomplish? Is yet another Church Committee the answer? If so, how do you anticipate the outcome will be different this time?
I guess answering my question is too much trouble, huh. For the record, in case you missed it, it was, "How do you expect the (legislative) outcome to be different this time?"
Edit: here's another question, seeing as you're in Italy. What do you think will happen when the power of the NSA ends up in the hands of a politician like Berlusconi?
Things can and do get better: when the United States' constitution was written, slaves were considered 3/5ths of a human being. Now a black man is president.
That has taken some 200 plus years, a civil war, and many other deaths, and is still not really a 'solved problem'.
So sometimes these things take a long time and a whole lot of effort. Whining about how something is impossible is just a waste of everyone's time, and potentially discouraging to those with the means to get out there and work for change. Mostly it's just a weak excuse to sit on one's ass and do nothing.
Speaking of Italy, this cynical "oh, nothing ever changes, all the politicians are the same, blah blah blah" attitude is one of the worst problems, and one of the best ways to keep people from standing up and doing something. That kind of attitude is far more common here than it is in the US, and the results are pretty evident.
Speaking of Italy, this cynical "oh, nothing ever changes, all the politicians are the same, blah blah blah" attitude is one of the worst problems,
No one but the native Italians are truly qualified to render such an opinion. They can cite 2000+ years of history as evidence. You wouldn't want the NSA to work for Caligula, the Borgias, Mussolini, or Berlusconi, but somehow, people like you think the next guy or gal in line for the throne will be different.
When I was talking about 'the problem', what on earth gave you the idea that I was talking about anything other than severely limiting the powers of the NSA?
My whole point is that this is something people will need to work out - they won't let go quietly.
True, I was just pointing out that not supporting silicon valley is not a sign of being against technology, so much as being suspicious of one area of it. Silicon valley aligns itself with a lot more than just technology and I suspect it is other factors than the engineering that the politicians are lukewarm to. From their point of view, a bunch of hippies have just managed to blow the doors off the restrictions on access to presses and other forms of mass influence. I suspect that that is the bit that annoys them.
