Why United States will remain dominant in tech…

The best way to improve on anything is to make a lazy person in charge of it. Americans love thier comforts.

Wouldn’t the lesson be: Iran, a theocratic police state, will not become a tech powerhouse? Iran censoring blogs doesn’t mean that India isn’t open, democratic, and supportive of immigrants, does it?

Goebbels: when you visit India, do you see a lot of different faces from all over the world moving there?

HaHa the US hasn’t been dominant in tech for at least half a decade. Have you heard of Korea? Japan? China? They have social websites on their mobile phones!

No, but you can’t claim it’s because some Iranian had his blog censored, can you? Nor does it mean they won’t be the dominant country in technology.

It’s called simple logic.

You claim you know that the US will be the dominant tech country because Iran censored a blog. That’s silly. It’s one small pathetic issue, but because it’s a BLOG, it’s the big story.

Plenty of countries do not censor blogs, what makes the US different from them? Answer: many, many things. You are foolishly conflating two issues (censorship and immigration) to make an absurd claim (that the US will be the dominant tech power)… presumably because you can tie this to BLOGS (foolishly) and because your step family is Iranian (whatever the connection is there… as if Iran isn’t one of the most unique sovereign states with many, many issues intertwined… nor does this take into account that no one has ever posited Iran as the next tech powerhouse either…)

Goebbels: true. Banning a blog is indicative of deeper issues.

Stefan: delusion is a wonderful thing.

To flip the issue, is Japan #2 (I’m just guessing what your perception is… as Stefan notes, some would already consider the US surpassed) because of its openness and immigration policy?

No, clearly not. They are one of the most nationalistic and protectionistic of any nation.

In fact, isn’t immigration a crutch for us? (well, well… at least we are bringing in some of the smartest Iranians and Indians and other people…) An indicator that we’ve already been passed about? (How can we be dominant if we need to import talent because it is not here)

Again, this is an absurd, simplistic argument that adds nothing to any existing debate. It’s just an opportunity for you to shout BLOG and to claim that you learned something about your step family (how long have you been with Maryam? And you just noticed now that her family likes Thanksgiving?)

Whoever coined the term “ugly American” was certainly on point. I give thanks every day of my life that the branch of our family that I belong to on my father’s side re-located to what would become Canada in the early 1800′s.

I enjoy the company of my American cousins (some of whom who are working in IT) for about as long as one can enjoy fresh fish. By the third day of dealing with their arrogant, ignorant and self absorbed attitudes, opinions and behaviours, I’m delighted to be showing them the door.

If you agree with my posts, Scoble banning blogs is an indicator of nothing. Don’t try to coopt my posts for your absurdist dreams.

Timethief: interesting. I feel the same way about many Americans too (including some of my own family). Maybe I’m just Canadian and don’t know it yet. Eh?

Goebbels: I knew her family likes Thanksgiving. But we were among a wider group here. And, anyway, so what if I learned something four years ago and just brought it up here? Geesh.

As to Japan being #2: that won’t last long. China is gonna take that spot pretty quickly. Both Japan and China have cultures much older than ours. They should both be ahead of us, especially China with its bigger population and more natural resources.

Goebbel: sometimes I just like pissing you off.

“Both Japan and China have cultures much older than ours. They should both be ahead of us, especially China with its bigger population and more natural resources.”

If China can surpass Japan, why can’t they surpass us? Isn’t China more repressive about information than Iran? (yes)

So now it has nothing to do with democracy and an immigration policy? (And now, apparently, it has nothing to do with repression…) It’s the age of the culture? No it’s the population size? No, it’s the natural resources? What? Did you ever have a point at all?

Oh yeah, it was this and only this: blogs, blogs, blogs, blogs….

The typical crap!

“Our trick is not to mistreat our immigrants so they keep coming here.”

You hit the nail on the head. There’s no other country in the world, to my knowledge, that was formed to welcome the poor, the tired, the weary huddled masses, except USA. Legal immigration in fields that need turbo growth is quintessential to overall progress. So is the equal treatment of recent immigrants, because to me, almost everyone in the US except Native Americans is an immigrant, if not 1st generation, then 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th generation. It’s just a matter of when you immigrated…not “if”…so why should some immigrants be less equal than others?

Goebbels: China will probably pass us. They have the advantages of having more than a billion people.

We’re getting off track, though. My point was mostly toward Iran: they are pissing off their smartest people who will continue to leave. Chances are they’ll end up here (although Canada gets is fair share) and that’ll help us remain dominant in tech for a long time to come.

Wow, a whole lot of interesting and passionate dialogue here! As a simple point of reference, I had my own small and intimate Christmas party and dinner last Friday in the desert (before departing to spend Christmas in Malibu as I always do). One of my guests was an amazing elderly “Persian” gentleman. A very smart and wise man, to be sure, and looks a full 20 years younger than his actual years. He was born and raised in Iran and moved to the Unites States at the time the Shah was overthrown. Some of his family remained and remained in Iran and, of course, are now his mortal enemies!

My friend had fascinating stories to tell about life in the middle east then, and now, as well as many engaging stories about relocating to the United States with his wife and five children in tow to build a new life here. Years of tireless work rewarded him with a very successful business. He now has twelve grandchildren and two great grandchildren, all still living in California.

Interestingly, this upstanding man became a U.S. Citizen and then a very strong supporter of Ronald Reagan and several other leading conservative politicians back in the eighties.

Way too much to relate here, but, suffice it to say this “righteous Persian” had us all riveted for most of the evening. From the disheartening and maddening web of hate, prejudice and terrorism that so pervades the middle east, awe-inspiring tales of self-reliance, hope, help and humanity still manage to emerge! It is stories like these that do help us all maintain our perspective around the holidays.

So, Happy Holidays to all! Robert, glad to see that you and the family had a great Christmas! See you and the Podtech crew at the CES Bloghause! Meanwhile hope you and all your readers have an awesome new year! 2007 should most definitely be a banner one for us all!

“We’re getting off track, though.”

Because you were never on track to begin with.

“Goebbels: China will probably pass us. They have the advantages of having more than a billion people.”

Which is contrary to your entire thesis and reason for posting.

“My point was mostly toward Iran: they are pissing off their smartest people who will continue to leave.”

Which is why my original post was that Iran will never lead in technology which no one has ever asserted in the first place. However, this does not explain your nonsensical title nor why you have since changed your argument 4 or 5 times nor why you now dispute your original claim (The US will NOT remain dominant).

“Chances are they’ll end up here (although Canada gets is fair share) and that’ll help us remain dominant in tech for a long time to come.”

So now you are modifying your argument AGAIN: we will remain #1 for some time because of Iranian immigrants. The absurdity never stops.

I’ll posit a corollary to your hypothesis, Scoble:

Since “Iranian Americans are most highly concentrated in California, which has a larger Iranian population than the next 20 states combined.”

California will remain the Dominant Tech State in the United States because of Iranians. Washington and other states aren’t even close. This is because California has a more open immigration policy and is far more democratic than all the other states. New England has an older culture so they may catch up. No other state is more populous so Cali will not be surpassed. But because Alaska has more natural resources, Alaska may someday surpass California.

Scoble: What’s my delusion? I think your delusion is that you aren’t realizing the disruptive power that mobile phones are acquiring. A device as powerful as computers half a decade ago connected to a broadband connection faster than what you have in your home.

Japan, Korea, India, half of Europe really, they are reaping the benefits. While here in America we get charged by the megabyte for access people in India get unlimited WCDMA for less than a typical cup of starbucks per month.

All I here is PC this, PC that, OLPC project. It’s all bullshit in the end. Verizon is laying down fiber optic cable, SBC is as well, but mark my words, when analog goes dark in 2009 and all that glorious spectrum is unleashed you’ll see a dawn of innovation that makes this “web 2.0″ thing look like a joke.

The main reason why people come to the United States is for economic reasons and not because they are “mistreated” in their countries.
The United States is a good place to earn a lot of money.

Goebbels, thanks for the intelligence in your responses. Scoble, would you mind accepting that your post and subsequent responses make no sense? I understand you may have a slight Americanist-ish feeling during the holidays, but try to at least back it up with a closed, rounded-off idea.

What is the difference between Iran censoring Blogs, and you “moderating” comments?

Any way you cut it, it amounts to an attempt at shutting down criticism.

Saying that the US dominates Tech just goes to show how deluded and separated from reality you have become.

Even if your hypothesis is correct then for as long as your borders remain open you will remain at the forefront.

That is a rock solid plan for driving innovation & leadership.

Yeah right….

pB: I haven’t moderated comments here for a long time. If a comment of yours is deleted it’s due to Akismet’s spam filter catching it.

Stefan: the delusion is that anyone else is dominant in tech outside of US. Even with your mobile phone. By the way, I have a flat data rate, something Europeans are just now getting.

Guido: not every post of mine is well thought out, or well communicated. Sorry about that.

Computer Tech: how many immigrants have you talked with? Most that I’ve heard came here because their governments are really screwed up.

But, yeah, money plays a HUGE role in that too.

No problem Thanks