[Infowarrior] - thoughts on net policy

[Richard Forno]

(c/o a friend discussing a chat he had with one of his friends, but  
worthy enough to post here)

A fellow security-geek friend of mine has long compared the current US  
approach towards the Internet to China's innovation of black powder:   
One nation invents something that is destined to change the world, and  
the lives of everyone in it forever after - and that nation then  
disregards its invention, leaving further innovation and refinement  
(and the POWER associated with the original invention) to anyone else  
who wants to pick it up and run with it.

The Chinese invented gunpowder, and said "that's good enough. No need  
to develop it further." Then some genius on another continent said  
"hmm, this stuff can make a projectile REALLY fly - what a great new  
weapon!"

We invented the Internet, and now we're doing everything we can to  
stifle its growth in this country. The South Koreans are flat-out  
obliterating us (and the rest of the world) in broadband penetration,  
and we're... not even in the top 15.