American innovation is in trouble
By Fareed Zakaria
If you ask people in Silicon Valley what makes it work, they will talk about many things — the ability to fail, the lack of hierarchy, the culture of competition. One thing almost no one mentions is the government. And yet, the Valley’s origins are deeply tied to government support. The reason there were so many engineers in California in the 1950s and 1960s was because large defense companies had attracted them there. Most of the legendary start-ups that fueled the computer revolution — Fairchild Semiconductor, Intel — got off the ground largely because the military, and later NASA, would buy their products until they became cheap and accessible enough for the broader commercial market. GPS, the technology that now powers the information revolution, was developed for the military.
And then there was government funding for research, which is sometimes thought of simply as large grants to universities for basic science but often was far more ingenious. My favorite example comes from Walter Isaacson’s fascinating new book, “The Innovators.” In the 1950s, the U.S. government funded a massive project at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, employing equal numbers of psychologists and engineers who worked together to find ways “that humans could interact more intuitively with computers and information could be presented with a friendlier interface.” Isaacson traces how this project led directly to the user-friendly computer screens of today as well as ARPANET, the precursor of the Internet.
Federal funding for basic research and technology should be utterly uncontroversial. It has been one of the greatest investments in human history. And yet it has fallen to its lowest level as a percentage of GDP in four decades.
soundoff (1,704 Responses)
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@fareedzakaria on Twitter
@Arun Patel. Talk to me son.
Am putting my "Wind chill/Fart warming factor" comment on my all-time faves copyboard. 🙂 Right next to "Does it just feel like [Blue Saffron's anus is] 98F. he he
Pretty soon it's just going to be me and one other person here. And some dude posting lists of words.
Namastey
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Al-Qaida
Al-Umar-Mujahideen
Babbar Khalsa International
Communist Party of India (Maoist) all its formations and front organisations
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) - People’s War, All its formations and front organizations
Deendar Anjuman
Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DEM)
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen / Harkat-ul-Ansar / Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen / Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment
Indian Mujahideen and all its formations and front organisations
International Sikh Youth Federation
Jaish-e-Mohammad / Tahrik-e-Furqan
Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen
Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front
Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL)
Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)
Khalistan Commando Force
Khalistan Zindabad Force
Lashkar-e-Taiba/ Pasban-e-Ahle Hadis
Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF)
Maoist Communist Centre (MCC), All its formations and Front Organisations
National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)
National Liberation Front of Tripura
People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleippak (PREPAK)
Students Islamic Movement of India
Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA)
Tamil National Retrieval Troops (TNRT)
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA)
United National Liberation Front (UNLF)
Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)[
United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)
National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)
United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS)
Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO)
Bodo Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF)
Dima Halim Daogah (DHD)
Karbi National Volunteers (KNV)
Rabha National Security Force (RNSF)
Koch-Rajbongshi Liberation Organisation (KRLO)
Hmar People's Convention- Democracy (HPC-D)
Karbi People's Front (KPF)
Tiwa National Revolutionary Force (TNRF)
Bircha Commando Force (BCF)
Bengali Tiger Force (BTF)
Adivasi Security Force (ASF)
All Assam Adivasi Suraksha Samiti (AAASS)
Gorkha Tiger Force (GTF)
Barak Valley Youth Liberation Front (BVYLF)
Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA)
United Liberation Front of Barak Valley
Muslim United Liberation Front of Assam (MULFA)
Muslim Security Council of Assam (MSCA)
United Liberation Militia of Assam (ULMA)
Islamic Liberation Army of Assam (ILAA)
Muslim Volunteer Force (MVF)
Muslim Liberation Army (MLA)
Muslim Security Force (MSF)
Islamic Sevak Sangh (ISS)
Islamic United Reformation Protest of India (IURPI)
United Muslim Liberation Front of Assam (UMLFA)
Revolutionary Muslim Commandos (RMC)
Muslim Tiger Force (MTF)
People’s United Liberation Front (PULF)
Adam Sena (AS)
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen
Harkat-ul-Jehad
Jammu & Kashmir
WAIT WAIT.....SOME MORE FREEDOM FIGHTING ORGANIZATIONS IN INDIA
Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj (ABNES)
Al Badr
All Tripura Tiger Force
Al-Qaida
Al-Umar-Mujahideen
Babbar Khalsa International
Communist Party of India (Maoist) all its formations and front organisations
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) - People’s War, All its formations and front organizations
Deendar Anjuman
Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DEM)
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen / Harkat-ul-Ansar / Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen / Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment
Indian Mujahideen and all its formations and front organisations
International Sikh Youth Federation
Jaish-e-Mohammad / Tahrik-e-Furqan
Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen
Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front
Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL)
Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)
Khalistan Commando Force
Khalistan Zindabad Force
Lashkar-e-Taiba/ Pasban-e-Ahle Hadis
Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF)
Maoist Communist Centre (MCC), All its formations and Front Organisations
National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)
National Liberation Front of Tripura
People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK)
Students Islamic Movement of India
Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA)
Tamil National Retrieval Troops (TNRT)
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA)
United National Liberation Front (UNLF)
Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)[
United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)
National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)
United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS)
Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO)
Bodo Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF)
Dima Halim Daogah (DHD)
Karbi National Volunteers (KNV)
Rabha National Security Force (RNSF)
Koch-Rajbongshi Liberation Organisation (KRLO)
Hmar People's Convention- Democracy (HPC-D)
Karbi People's Front (KPF)
Tiwa National Revolutionary Force (TNRF)
Bircha Commando Force (BCF)
Bengali Tiger Force (BTF)
Adivasi Security Force (ASF)
All Assam Adivasi Suraksha Samiti (AAASS)
Gorkha Tiger Force (GTF)
Barak Valley Youth Liberation Front (BVYLF)
Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA)
United Liberation Front of Barak Valley
Muslim United Liberation Front of Assam (MULFA)
Muslim Security Council of Assam (MSCA)
United Liberation Militia of Assam (ULMA)
Islamic Liberation Army of Assam (ILAA)
Muslim Volunteer Force (MVF)
Muslim Liberation Army (MLA)
Muslim Security Force (MSF)
Islamic Sevak Sangh (ISS)
Islamic United Reformation Protest of India (IURPI)
United Muslim Liberation Front of Assam (UMLFA)
Revolutionary Muslim Commandos (RMC)
Muslim Tiger Force (MTF)
People’s United Liberation Front (PULF)
Adam Sena (AS)
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen
Harkat-ul-Jehad
Jammu & Kashmir
The demise of social media. We really weren't that interesting after all.
Not only American innovation is in trouble but so is American Journalism. You know why Fareed? Because of hypocrites like you who for a few bucks have sold their souls. Do our biding and we shall pay you more. On second thoughts no thanks. I can find better pedigree at lesser cost.
What pedigree is Fareed? Don't they have caste system in India?
The point is he talks about lack of innovation and then plagiarizes the heck out of journalistic work. Go figure.
Yup, Fareed invented plagiarism.
Isn't french fries an american invention?
Je Suis Friteś!
je te aime peuple français
Blue Saffron's current an al temperature is 99℉
Je Suis Monsieur Blue Saffroń.
Nous l'aimons
LOL. Monsieur certainly shut up the merde from India aka @bat canary.
déchets are all gone.
Thank you for cleaning up this forum @ Blue Saffron.
We love ya.
Now we can have some intellectualism here.
How can American innovation be dead when Fareed invented plagiarism? Made In India.
Innovation is not dead but reinventing itself.
We are transforming to a police state. Getting militiarized.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Blue Saffron has cleaned up this forum and driven out the s hit from India back to their caves in Bombay. Vive Le Blue Saffron.
Please don't create a divide. I just post my comments and move on. I have no other agenda nor interfere in other people's business. Freedom of expression with respect for others where due is my motto. However, I do not and will condone human right violations in any form or manner. I abhor suppression of people If you are a party to it then I am your worst nightmare.
It is not my responsibilty to clean up forums though I encourage meaningful debate.
This is my credo. This is who I am. This is what I do.
Understood. What has happened in Paris is deplorable and murdering of people is unacceptable.
Freedom of speech also comes with a responsibility. Not to go about insulting people, cultures and races unnecessarily. That is not what civilized people do and is worst kind of terrorism.
American Innovation maybe in trouble but "Hands up dont shoot" protests denominates a bigger trouble of sorts. Law enforcement and armed forces has prima facie taken over America. NRA was right.
Would you rather have big fat men ruling our streets, @Blue Saffron? Than the police? Because those are your only two choices: Police rule or great big ugly fat men do.
Your point is well taken but we need not provide armored vehicles and Sherman Tanks to a police force in Small Town, USA.
"Don't choke, I can't breathe" means just that. Big Ugly Fat Men have rights to. Police Policies are there for police to follow. Police cannot take law in their own hands.
Choking a person to death for selling a pair of Michael Jordan sneakers on the sidewalk is not acceptable nor proportionate to the act.
Innovativeness is not my concern. Looking at the sea of cops disrespecting their civilian leader tells me that America is in trouble.
Evolving culture takes more time than science.
Blogs such as this is indicative of how out of touch CNN and Fareed are with the world or deliberately trying to divert attention of people away from what the priorites should be.
Innovation? Hum bug
I am not trying to stir up trouble but note how most here disappeared since the Paris episode. They must be afraid the intelligence services are monitoring these forums at heightened levels.
Am actually enjoying my old manhood. Making men with but 20 years experience in my chosen fields look like little boys. And make older women appear to be Planned Parenthood riff raff.
Paris was an inside job. Yet u r easily confused. Beccause u r stupid is why,
Lady Di was killed by insiders don't you know. And JFK's sister was in fact lobotomized by them.
if you do not use your real name but choose to fake it. We know who u are.
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Zzz. Lol
Anyway. I really like the hell out of banasy and think she is one of the most intelligent people on earth.
There. I said it.
Your opinion will change again tomorrow, but thank you.
It's tomorrow already.
It's still tomorrow.
Maybe you were talking about the day after tomorrow?
Hello?
poopert has trashed the main thread so am here hoping to chat seriously.
160. American "men" with puny little arms.