If you hadn't noticed the US Presidential Election is in full swing. I find all this about as exciting as watching a train wreck, I'm too enthralled to look away.
I see lots of mud slinging on both sides. Crap about both candidates Vietnam War anticts. "He's so liberal he will let the UN run us." "He's so conservative he will let all of his rich buddies go tax free." Its the same old crap that both sides have been saying for years, but as much as we bemone the mud slinging we, the fickel mob, enjoy it. We thrive on it.
There are issues being talked about. Yep, the same issues that got mentioned in the previous half centuries elections: War and Peace, Taxes, The Economy, Education, Entitlement Programs (welfare/medicade/social securty/healthcare, take your pick), and of course each candidate will do what is right for THE CHILDREN.
There are two big issues though that are not getting talked about, and they are issues that affect not only the IT industry as a whole but every American consumer as well as the future of technology growth in this country. These issues of course are Copyright and Patent laws.
The Geek Community has been screaming about these issues since Napster was crushed by the RIAA. The fair use rights of consumers are being threatened by big conglomerates who wish to control how we partake of the entertianment they produce. Their money making process is being threatend by technology that eliminates the prime motherloads: Commercials and Price Fixing.
At what point do we, the consumer, get fed up with their schenanigans and rebel?
Software patents are stifling inovation in the IT industry. The between SCO suing everyone and Microsoft filing for patents like it is the end of time we the developers of code will one day have to include law degrees on our resume. I personally want to code, not fanagal with some smuck over the definition of IS.
The candidates need to address these issues. We the People need to ask them their policies on these issues. Pretty soon, if we don't, then we will wind up paying just to watch each episode of Survivor.
Oh, the humanity.
