I think Obama (in addition to this review of his platform) might be unfit as well, if you are worried about having a president who understands enough about technology to oversee an overhauling of the Patent Office.
The AeA held a Q&A session on Monday last week for the sci and tech community, featuring Obama's science advisers. They spent lots of time talking about innovation and competitiveness; the poor preparedness of our kids when it comes to math and science education; the fact that we don't invest in basic research, etc.
It all sounded good, if at times also a bit hollow and full of empty promises. They never really answered questions directly and repeated the same old rhetoric that we've heard for the last couple of years.
Obama's staff said that he promises a strategic plan within 90 days - maybe within 6 months, its was too soon for them to make any promises - that will ensure a strong knowledge based economy. They also didn't miss a chance to get in some digs at the poor science record of the Bush administration.
For all of their pablum about the importance of remaining competitive in the world and beefing up our commitment to science and technology, I stopped listening when someone asked, "Is the protection of intellectual property on the radar? Is it important?" And Karen Kornbluh - one of the panelists http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Kornbluh - said, "I don't know. Can I check and get back to you on that?"
This is not promising for reform of the PTO, when both presidential candidates treat technology and innovation so cavalierly.
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4 comments:
Hi - stumbled upon your site.... very nice :).
Unfortunately it seems as if most of Obama's opinions are very fuzzy and hard to pin down, about just about every topic. This is just another specific example of that. How frustrating!!
his opinions are fuzzy, anxious to include all and everything, and issues seem like they are still sitting unfixed and not to be fixed. On the list of priorities, IP may be way down, but it is a good indicator of what the country is treating its own (brain) assets, much like education :-(
Honestly - do you really think that any politician in this world EVER is going to tell you the truth, will ever stick to the promises s/he makes to get your votes?
No matter which country it is all politicians are longing for the same: power and manipilating the masses for their iwn purpose. That's what drives any government in this world - be it "democratic" or not.
It is time that people wake up and take things into their own hands and not rely on any promises made. But this of course is an illusion...
Cordially,
Petra
Petra, to be purely neutral- how else would politicians get into the government? I think the Mr. Smith Goes to Washington model is possible originating from the heartland, which is much alienated, or distanced, or truly talked down to, the mainstream faddish, soundbite media.
It's just another kind, 21st Century, sleek Mr. Smith dazzling his fan club, and the fan club, jusyt liek the electoral college, decides/influences/acts through the media to create a landslide push for a change. You are right, and, in a way, in the case of our, representative democracy.
"Take things into their own hands" should mean not anarchy, or totalitarian socialism, or radicalism, but direct democracy.
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