In the early part of the 20th century the United States made
unprecedented investment in education, technology, public health,
and infrastructure.
Programs like the New Deal America made the greatest investment
in human potential the world has ever seen. The fertile 
environment we created was a hotbed of knowledge and creativity.
Other countries attempted similar plans for their societies, and
all of them failed, with one unfortunate exception. The US then
blew past the competition in “planning technology.”
The ability to collaborate and create massive programs for
societal change from the top down put us out ahead of other
countries, all while maintaining a market economy. Knowledge and
innovation networks, clustered around universities and national
labs, created the digital economy from the ground up.
The secret sauce is not so secret anymore, my
future-friends.
From Dubai to Singapore, the worlds rising stars are planning
their destinies, and now blowing right past the US. A recent FB
post Futuristic Middle
East, serves to articulate this trend. Such City States have
been exceptional proving grounds, and benefactors, of “planning
technology.” With small geographies and simplified political
systems, they can implement national strategies with ease.
Dubai is also doing way more than just building shiny hotels and
palm islands in the ocean. They are buying wholesale entire
knowledge networks, the most prestigious in the world, (many which
are jumping at the opportunity.) Recently NYU has agreed to put a campus there, following in
the footsteps of Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins. Oh by
the way future pals, they will roll out the red carpet for future
conscious talent.
The US is not a city state; we need a New Deal for the 21st
century that covers a wide spectrum of societal issues. Here is my
short-list:
1. Internet technology, knowledge transfer systems, ubiquitous
access-We need ubiquitous internet access and tailor made user
driven networks for public innovation and education. (Certainly
ubiquitous and pervasive computing is a long term goal)
2. Alternative Energy Research-Simply put, we need a clean,
reliable, and cheap source of energy(s) for our society. I want
every national lab on this one.
3. Transit oriented development in every metro area. We need
affordable and high quality dense housing in urban areas supported
by mass transit. (The suburban American way of life is impossible
to support, and makes it difficult for immigrants and the poor)
4. Open door policy- We need to open the door to legal
immigration. Companies complain tough regs prevent them from hiring
the global best, so they go elsewhere. We also need to open the
door to collaborating with other nations on research.
What’s on your short-list?
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