America's tech industry and 9/11?

Interesting article about the U.S. high-tech industry:
Intel CEO - U.S. faces looming tech decline

The comments from various high-tech CEOs do not surprise me at all. You could see this coming, but how did it happen? It's certainly a factor of the general globalization that has been going on over the last couple of decades, but I assert that the September 11th attacks spawned a chain reaction that has led us to this state.

Soon after the attacks, the U.S. put a stop order on technology immigration ... well not completely, but definitely a major turn of the faucet. Prior to this, if you were a motivated high-tech worker/student, you either wanted to come to the United States to find your way to success or you at least thought about it. As a result of the local supply, business got the government to allow a significant high-tech immigration to the United States, which mainly came from India and China.

When the faucet was moved to the 'drip' position after 9/11, high-tech companies were in a bind. There was a recession (again, possibly another indirect 9/11 contribution) and now a lower supply of engineers. This led some companies to start outsourcing high-tech jobs to other countries, namely the ones that had previously had high-tech emigration to the U.S. This actually turned out to be even cheaper for them and resulted in some short-term success. Other companies quickly followed suit.

Ah, but here we find yet another example of myopic business decisions based on quarterly and annual performance. The tactic that led to short-term profits has now created a longer-term problem. Other countries are now keeping their high-tech talent at home. As these economies are maturing at starting and running high-tech businesses, they aren't needing American businesses or even American capital anymore. We have gone from a time of American tech dominance to a nation in trouble of losing this battle. Next step - emigration from the United States to follow these quality jobs?

I'm not against global competition, but it's frustrating that we've basically done this to ourselves. We didn't have to take this path, but it does make me wonder how calculated the 9/11 attacks were in terms of these kind of long-term effects. If there is a correlation, as I assert, was this an intentional or accidental consequence?

Regardless, America continues to lag behind in getting its citizens to go into high-tech degree programs in college. Countries like India and China seem to be maturing at capitalism at a rapid pace and they are able to keep their people at home more than ever.

We're in trouble in high-tech.

Gerrymandering of political views

As a libertarian, I'm often confused by the utter contradictions in being either a Democrat or a Republican.

Speaking in generalities of course, a Democrat is against the government in their bedroom, but for it in their wallet. A Republican is the opposite. It doesn't make sense.

Why is it ok to co-opt the government in one case but not the other?

It seems like we would have a two-party system where people are either for an authoritarian democracy, where an elite government decides which behaviors and wealth distribution are appropriate, or a libertarian one, where the government provides minimal services to ensure individual rights.

Politics, the Economy, and Distractions

We get all riled up in our politics about gay marriage, abortion, religion, etc. Why? These things rarely actually matter in the realm of government or our daily lives as a result of the actions of government.


There are a few things that pop to mind as to why these issues become front and center:

• Politicians wield them as tools to control easily swayed voters, touching on a sensitivity in a 'for' or 'against' manner.


• The people affected by the politicization of these types of issues are forced to counterattack.


• They are much more interesting and/or easy to debate than something like macroeconomic, global trends.

What really, truly matters for government is to protect the rights of its citizens through laws and enforcement. It's a reasonable debate to discuss the degree to which the government gets involved in protecting rights and probably a proper one, but that's really where that discussion should stop.


The Clinton Administration had the mantra of "It's the economy, stupid!" and they were right in that sense. However, I disagree with the tact that is normally taken (by both parties). The U.S. President is not the head of the American economy. There really isn't (shouldn't be) one. In its role of protecting the rights of its citizens, the government should be a watchdog to the workings of our economy.

The problem is who watches the watchdog?

Taking our country back!

What does this phrase mean in our current political climate?

Here's a video that's pretty overdone (I could do without the patriotic music), but done fairly well. It's a nice touch to roll out JFK in an attempt to show balance.



I can't find anything in it I disagree with. I can only guess that this is done by a Tea Party enthusiast. I blogged about the Tea Party in May and have still struggled with my stance on them. After watching the video from my last blog entry where Bill O'Reilly and Sarah Palin talk about the U.S. being a Christian nation, it hit me what the thought process is and where my problem is:

This is their country. They created a great nation based on freedom and liberty. They have allowed others to partake in it and have done it with pride. They have been so proud of the success that they've attempted to export it as much as possible. In recent times, their position of power and way of doing things have come under question. "How dare they! This is our country. How can our way be disallowed by our own courts and government. This is a call to arms!"

This reminds me somewhat of the end of A Few Good Men.

"We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone to a
life spent defending something. You use 'em as a punchline. I have neither the
time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under
the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I
provide it. I'd prefer you just said thank you and went on your way." - Col. Jessep

Many liberals cry racism and theocracy. I don't think that's what it is for most people. I think they are pissed off that their way of life has not only been questioned, but is systematically being disassembled. It's being done by the government institutions that they have held so dearly. The government is by, of, and for the people. They are the people. How did this happen?

So, in the last couple of decades, fundamentalists have taken this call to arms to the government. They are attempting to fight off the apparent attack on their way of life. Generally speaking, this is not intended as a way to force people like me to be a Christian. It's to allow them to be Christians like they've always been.

Praying at a city council meeting a generation or more ago was not a fundamentalist tactic of control. It's the way many people opened any kind of meeting. Prayer in school wasn't an indoctrination tactic. It's what you did.

The question is whether or not we can come to terms with each other. For example, why would someone like me think that it's so bad to pray at a city council meeting? It's not "bad" in the "I stole something" kind of bad. It's bad because it is the government infringing on the inalienable rights of citizens that are not of your religion. The majority can't decide who gets which rights. They are for everyone and must be protected, especially against the majority.

The message of "taking our country back" gets muddled as a result of all of this. Part of it is politics and part of it is culture. There is, no doubt, a major fiscal component to the Tea Party movement. I am with them on that. In the culture war side of things, I just can't support them. In fact, I'd rather religion just go away. However, I fully support a person's freedom of religion. As a result, you get to do your thing and I get to do mine.

Religious neutrality is not hostility

I wrote a very short piece about the people's misuse of government power a few months ago, but did not specifically call out any groups. In this article, I'm looking at you, Mr. or Mrs. Religious Righty. The religious right seems unbearably intent on including the government as a part of their Biblical megaphone.

As with most things regarding their religion, they just don't see the problem with prayer in school ... or the Ten Commandments in courtrooms ... or a National Day of Prayer. They can't understand how anybody would complain about something so moral and fundamental to America.

I can't even begin to deal with the mess of this clip. Sarah Palin at least puts it on the table.



So if there's no conceivable objection to prayer, why not include the daily Islamic prayers? It's praying to the God of Abraham. What could be wrong with that?



What about a simple Hebrew prayer? That's Judeo-Christian, right?



We all know what they mean by prayer and other religious overtures. They mean Christianity. But whose Christianity is it? Catholics? Methodists? Baptists? Mormons? Which is it? Surely we can make it common enough to cover them all? What about Jews and Muslims? Why not have one of the above prayers? What about Buddhists and Hindus? They don't even claim a similar monotheistic God. What about atheists and agnostics?

To quote myself, "Government can be secular, impartial, and unemotional, allowing the individual to be the opposite of all of those in any way they desire. In fact, I think this inherently allows an individual to be however they want and co-exist with others that are different."

This necessity of religious neutrality in government is NOT the hostility that so many Christians feel.

"When a Religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it
does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its
Professors are obliged to call for help of the Civil Power, it is a sign, I
apprehend, of its being a bad one." - Benjamin Franklin

Christians, go to your churches. Pray in your homes. Pray in public. Pray at school (personally and quietly please). Do not use this government to further your agenda. If you are so righteous, your path will be self-evident. You do not need to compel others through force.

Atheists are not (should not be) opposed to your rights, but we would like ours. The only way to do that is to keep government and religion separate.

Obama on church and state (from 2006)

I just don't understand how people can disagree with this...

I saw this on The Temple of Atheism blog and had to share.

The objectification of women

I recently read an interesting blog post about women and objectification. The article weighs the question of feminism, sexuality, and objectification by men.

I definitely consider myself a male feminist. I sought out a partner/equal for a spouse and nothing less. I found one and have been happily married for 17 years. I've had countless female coworkers and managers. I treat them all as I would any man - with the respect or disdain they individually deserve.

At the same time, I am bombarded 24/7 with my sexual thoughts as a male. It's really quite ridiculous. I doubt women truly have any idea the thoughts that seem to relentlessly flow through our minds.

I remember a conversation with my wife after watching the movie What Women Want. She said, "I wonder what the sequel 'What Men Want' would look like." I jokingly replied, "It's already been made a million times - it's called porn."

The bottom line is that men do see women as a sex object. At first, it's an overwhelmingly dominant portion of how we see you. As most men get to know you, it becomes a minor part nearly immediately. It's still there though.

What can we do? If we fully respect women otherwise, is that good enough?

Christopher Hitchens is dying - prayers?

I've only heard about this in the last couple of days, but the renowned atheist Christopher Hitchens is dying from esophageal cancer.  This is getting a lot of attention because of his prominence as an atheist and his nearly certain demise.

Some interviews:

Anderson Cooper:


Jeffrey Goldberg:


There is a mixed reaction of prayer among the believers.  Many are praying that he find Jesus.  Many are praying that he survives.  Very few are praying for his demise.

I've read a couple of things where atheists are finding this prayer to be condescending.  I disagree completely.  Who has been a bigger foe to Christians in the public discourse?  Hitchens seems to be the most terse and smug of the New Atheists that I've been following recently.

I celebrate Christians that pray for Hitchens because that's what they do when they care and certainly what their religion teaches them.

Turning the table on Mormons

While trolling another blog, I ran across this bit and had to share:

Fight Club and modern man

I recently watched Fight Club for the first time.  I'd have to say that I liked it, but it's very strange.  The reason I'm blogging about it is because it hit a nerve - the place and plight of men in the 21st century.



The landscape for men has changed very drastically over the last century.  Rolling into the turn of the 20th century, a man was a man.  He was generally some sort of laborer, relying on his superior physical strength to define his station in life.  Over the past 100 years, the need for physical strength has continued to diminish to the point of near obsolescence.  Mental ability is supplanting physical strength in a way that has removed man's corner on the job market.

Women are continually changing what it is they expect from themselves, their relationships, and their work.  This is definitely a good thing for them.  They're a little confused about this new world and their gender role, but it's trending the right direction.  Men, however, are finding themselves behind the times.  They're more than a little confused about this world and their role.  They're playing in it, but aren't comfortable and don't quite know why.

Fight Club tackles this dilemma with its main character (Ed Norton) and his alter ego (Brad Pitt).  What does a man do with millions of years of evolution bottled up inside him?  Everything about his life is not the way it should be.  Sitting at a desk, doing some paper-pushing sort of job, and living in a condo with furniture from IKEA is an evolutionary contradiction.

I think most men can really identify with what is going on for this character, as crazy and exaggerated as it may be.  Who doesn't occasionally identify with the song Synchronicity II by The Police?



Recently, The Atlantic did an article entitled The End of Men.  My wife and I both read it and have discussed it regularly.  I think that it's a little much to say that men are going to become obsolete, but men do need to get with the times because the times they are a changin'.

The interesting thing to me is that this world that we struggle against is one that we created.  Most of the advances in technology, productivity, work conditions, etc. were brought about by men and for men.  The unintended side effects were that our prior advantages in the gender realm have been neutralized and it has taken us away from the activities that took evolution thousands to millions of years to perfect.

There's a little to a lot of Fight Club in all of us.  We just need to figure out how to sufficiently balance that in the modern world.