From a New York Times article:
Both presidential candidates, in their careers and in their campaigns, have made detailed arguments for how the nation should deal with technology rivals, sharpen its competitive edge and improve what experts call its "ecology of innovation." Yet their visions are strikingly different. They diverge mainly on the appropriate role for the federal government in education, in spending on research, and in building, maintaining and regulating the complex infrastructure on which innovation depends. The visions both face tough questions on their viability amid the nation’s deepening financial crisis. Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee for president, seeks to encourage innovation by cutting corporate taxes and ending what he calls "burdensome regulations" that he says inhibit corporate investment. But Mr. McCain has also repeatedly gone up against business if he sees a conflict with national security, for instance, in seeking to limit sensitive exports. In Senator Barack Obama’s view, the United States must compete far more effectively against an array of international rivals who are growing more technically adept. Mr. Obama, the Democratic nominee, looks to the federal government to finance science, math and engineering education and the kind of basic research that can produce valuable industrial spinoffs.
The personal styles of the candidates also contrast. Mr. McCain says his leadership of the Senate commerce committee has versed him in technology issues, but he also jokes about his ignorance of personal computers and e-mail. Mr. Obama, an avid BlackBerry user, commenced an aggressive drive for campaign donations over the Internet. Mr. Obama embraces the theory of evolution and argues that the teaching of intelligent design and other creationist ideas "cloud" a student’s understanding of science. While Mr. McCain says he personally believes in evolution, he has also said children should be taught "all points of view." Mr. McCain has written five books, starting in 1999, but none discuss in any detail how the nation might respond to technical rivals — a central theme of Mr. Obama’s second book, published in 2006. Mr. Obama posted a detailed set of technology proposals on his Web site late last year; Mr. McCain did so in recent months.
It remains to be seen how the candidates would pay for their proposals.
2 comments:
I read only one of those five books. It was about his time as a prisoner. I got the idea when I finished that "This guy, if he gets a chance will fix the military. What motivation!"
I doubt he has done so. OTOH, he has done a raft load of other things.
As a small businessman myself, I detest the paperwork burden. Quite seriously, it uses up at least one hour of every 7.5 hour day. There is a huge "underground" economy (some estimate at as much as 25%) which operates solely on cash not to avoid taxes so much as to avoid all that parasitic paperwork. So anybody who says he wants to lighten that burden will strike a chord in a lot of businessmen. Imagine the boost in the economy if every business could simply produce their product instead of spending one day in ten just filling out government forms!
If I had a dog in the race, I might ask my representative what efforts his party has taken to lighten and streamline the business taxation system. Then I would work with a lobby group to impliment these changes.
THAT would be change. Probably more specific than most of the talking heads go along with.
Again...I don't envy your choices....there are no angels here...only your choice of devil. I suspect that some will prefer to go with the devil you know.
I think that the problem with anyone who's going to 'fix' something is the one-sided view of what they see as the problem, and their solution. Although I am mightily in favor of Obama getting in, and I like the idea of an all-Democratic Congress, I can see the problems inherent in that approach. But if I have to choose, I'm going with the people who care more about people than about businesses. Frankly, I don't think we've seen very much effective self-regulation from business, last half-dozen years.
What kills me is the idea that its GOT to be business or people. Neither side is willing to effectively compromise. The moderates get drowned out.
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