Thursday, July 5, 2007
The Future
The real distinction is between those who adapt their purposes to reality and those who seek to mold reality in the light of their purposes. - Henry Kissinger
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
The Digital Divide
If we are to believe, as Macintosh and IBM advertisers would surely have us believe, that the key to advancement in our society hinges on the ability to remain on the cutting edge of technology, then it should be clear that the 62.9% of African Americans without computers or the internet are at a significant disadvantage.
America is making advances in the number of people getting on line and in the gaps between African American ownership as compared to Euro American ownership. But why was there such a gap to begin with? The problems and solutions are not simple enough to be pointed to in a single blog entry.
What can be said is that the gap is almost surely representative of the continuing problems of race-based inequality in America. Whether it is due to insufficient educational systems, public policies, personal attitudes, or some combination of each is clearly worth exploring.
Until the results of all surveys similar to the one conducted for “Digital Divide” yield equal results, we should not be allowed to claim equal opportunity or fair competition as an American value. In fact, this claim should be put aside until a time when we no longer need to survey basic needs in terms of race, sex, income level, sexual orientation, disability, or location.
Further, as supposed ambassadors of democracy and freedom, Americans should not be satisfied to know that the rest of the globe is lagging. Never mind internet - what about electricity and running water? One only needs to compare these images to understand the contrast.
USA
Europe
Africa
1 http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/hhs/ChartH3.htm
2 http://www.tciai.org/Falling.htm
America is making advances in the number of people getting on line and in the gaps between African American ownership as compared to Euro American ownership. But why was there such a gap to begin with? The problems and solutions are not simple enough to be pointed to in a single blog entry.
What can be said is that the gap is almost surely representative of the continuing problems of race-based inequality in America. Whether it is due to insufficient educational systems, public policies, personal attitudes, or some combination of each is clearly worth exploring.
Until the results of all surveys similar to the one conducted for “Digital Divide” yield equal results, we should not be allowed to claim equal opportunity or fair competition as an American value. In fact, this claim should be put aside until a time when we no longer need to survey basic needs in terms of race, sex, income level, sexual orientation, disability, or location.
Further, as supposed ambassadors of democracy and freedom, Americans should not be satisfied to know that the rest of the globe is lagging. Never mind internet - what about electricity and running water? One only needs to compare these images to understand the contrast.
USA
Europe
Africa
1 http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/hhs/ChartH3.htm
2 http://www.tciai.org/Falling.htm
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