20090112 "They're going to come at you Sideways..."

The headline today from the New York Times is:
Obama is Urged to Open High-Tech Exports.
My first question is: Urged by Whom?
Answer: Brent Snowcrowft (see picture, seated in middle. Recognize the guy to his right?)

So, if I am reading this right - this is an off-handed attempt to change business regulations with regards to high-tech exports.

I think we should be very careful about that.

I have always said that the export restrictions on encryption technology for example are ridiculous. They we relaxed somewhat under Clinton - but the reality is that it places an unfair trade disadvantage upon American technology companies whom cannot compete in a flourishing global digital encryption industry because we are not allowed to export anything that works too well.

But on the other hand I am a paranoid with regards to the practice of outsourcing design and innovation. I see those as the core competencies of this country and we should covet them, as opposed to utterly exploiting them for short term gains.

America's weakness with regards to technology is Hubris. We advertise all of our secrets for attention to service our inflated sense of self-worth and just give them away to other countries who exploit their people savagely and sell our own favorite goods back to us at greatly discounted prices - no questions asked. It is a shameful cycle of contrived ignorance and egocentrism.

So what national secrets are we going to sell to some maniac with a blood vendetta to settle that no one noticed along the way so that some company can make their 30% annual growth target for another fiscal quarter? That is why we need to be careful. It is an all too real scenario as recent current events should teach us.