DRM, Vista and your rights

Last summer while I was taking a break from school I read the Ender's Shadow series by Orson Scott card. In it the US is just a pretty face that is only important to itself and the rest of the world doesn't pay any attention to it. While countries like China, India, and Brazil have the real power.

What I find interesting is that is what is happening now. M$ is stifling innovation and competition in the US while the rest of the world laughs at us, aside from a few countries that seem to want to keep M$ happy.

What will happen is that China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and others will pass us by as the continue to develop and promote technological advances, rather than passing laws that put the common man into the hands of large business to do what ever it is they want us to do.

But I guess it will be okay when the Gates foundation is running the country, because with all the good it's doing they must care about people, right?

MS and the Gates foundation are only the tip of the iceberg... Actually more of a symptom than a cause.

Indeed, only a symptom. Gates &Co are doing the "merchantilist" dance, exactly what Adam Smith was pointing out as destructive to actual prosperity.

Once a company is established, it takes on its own "will to live". No matter how destructive, it will try to survive past the time when it should have changed.

IBM has had to do this, and it was traumatic. MS is doing everything to prevent themselves from adapting to the new environment. Just like the dinosaur, they will fail.

So much truth in this thread.

Can't fight the tide of change. Anyone remembers that "famous" quote from Star Trek (I think)?

"The only constant in the universe is change".

If you don't adapt, you're left behind, or worse.

Or the song "Tom Sawyer" by Rush:

"He knows changes aren't permanent, but change is."

theboomboomcars: You are sooo in my head! Kind of roomy, ain't it? I've been thinking on this same idea, albeit from a slightly different perspective. In my thinking, We Americans are starting to get a little too comfy (read too lazy to change), and the 3rd world nations will take advantage of FOSS to gain technological superiority.

At least there is hope for the world, even if the US right now seems to think that getting more money right now is better than making the future a reasonable place to be.

deparris: I often like swimming in others heads, especially roomy ones. Mine is so full that I need a break some times.