Obama's Use of the Internet And Tech Is Absolutely Amazing
It is no secret that I was not a big supporter of Barack Obama leading up to his election but I must say that I have been very impressed with the way he handled both the transition and his first few days in office. I will have more to say on his "aggressive" plans for the Middle East in a later post but I first want to tip my hat to president Obama.
Obama's use of the internet to convey messages is nothing short of phenomenal. Change.gov for transparency and opening up government to the masses is a masterstroke. The Briefing Book is a phenomenal experiment in democracy and empowerment. And the weekly YouTube address is just perfect for this century, marking our transition from faceless radio to facebooked masses.
Most remarkably, his weekly YouTube address' discussion of his stimulus plan displays a leader who is totally facile with technology and determined to help America leapfrog into this century using and investing in American innovation. No more trailing Korea on Broadband or falling behind German in clean energy. No more dependence on Saudi and Iranian oil. Green is in and he will invest in it. Broadband is crucial and it will be a priority. Modernizing schools is a must so it will be part of the recovery and stimulus plan (full Youtube address below).
When I contrast this to Israel's political bumbling handling of all of these issues, I yearn for Obama. Despite being a technologically rich country, we have no government plan for investing in technology. Our broadband speeds are woeful. We have an abundance of sun but tiny amounts of solar energy initiatives in the local economy. We have an obvious water shortage (no rain again today despite the weather forecast) and we have had no progress on desalination. Frankly, the contrast is dramatic.
Obama's use of the internet to convey messages is nothing short of phenomenal. Change.gov for transparency and opening up government to the masses is a masterstroke. The Briefing Book is a phenomenal experiment in democracy and empowerment. And the weekly YouTube address is just perfect for this century, marking our transition from faceless radio to facebooked masses.
Most remarkably, his weekly YouTube address' discussion of his stimulus plan displays a leader who is totally facile with technology and determined to help America leapfrog into this century using and investing in American innovation. No more trailing Korea on Broadband or falling behind German in clean energy. No more dependence on Saudi and Iranian oil. Green is in and he will invest in it. Broadband is crucial and it will be a priority. Modernizing schools is a must so it will be part of the recovery and stimulus plan (full Youtube address below).
When I contrast this to Israel's political bumbling handling of all of these issues, I yearn for Obama. Despite being a technologically rich country, we have no government plan for investing in technology. Our broadband speeds are woeful. We have an abundance of sun but tiny amounts of solar energy initiatives in the local economy. We have an obvious water shortage (no rain again today despite the weather forecast) and we have had no progress on desalination. Frankly, the contrast is dramatic.
posted by Michael Eisenberg at 10:44 PM
3 Comments:
bibi has been blogging for years. he's very with it, technologically.
Michael, I think this falls under the general umbrella of "leadership" which we lack so sorely. I miss the days of Rabin, Begin and even Sharon. I didn't always agree with them (probably most of the time I didn't), but they were men of vision and ability to execute.
This increasingly gaping hole in our society is alarming, because if you look at some of the key success factors in the Zionist endeavor vs. the Palestinian one - what they totally lacked and we had in abundance was leadership. The people who led the Zionist movement were inspiring leaders, each in his/her own way, and managed to chart a path and follow it.
And no, I'm not looking for a "strong" leader if that's a euphemism for an undemocratic bulldozer with delusions of grandeur (and I think we all know who I'm talking about...)
Just good old-fashioned leadership, with vision, values and ability to execute. Is that too much to ask?
Glad you are honest about your sentiments on candidate Obama while allowing yourself the gift to marvel at and learn from President Obama.
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