By Jack Uldrich
Cross-posted from www.jumpthecurve.net
Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “In this world nothing can be said
to be certain, except death and taxes.” Well, last week I explained
why death’s grip might
be loosening, and this week I’d like to take a quick look at
how our tax burden could soon be reduced.
In the editorial section of yesterday’s Wall Street
Journal there were two articles that spoke to how emerging
technologies could dramatically lower government expenditures—and,
by extension, help cut taxes.
The first was a piece by Brian Carney and it explained
how unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could soon replace a majority
of the military’s jet fighters. What is most noteworthy is that
in addition to placing fewer pilots at mortal risk, the cost of a
UAV (or drone) is $4.2 million as
compared to $350 million, which is the cost of a next-generation
F-22 fighter. Better still, UAV’s don’t
suffer from fatigue; go on extended leave; nor do they require
generous pensions after they are retired.
Advances in robotics offer similar chances to cut our bloated
defense budget. Robots are soon expected to be able to drive
vehicles and, eventually, even ships and submarines. If so, the
rational for our sizeable army and navy will soon be called into
question.
Technology’s benefit is not limited only to defense. As Gordon
Crovitz explained is his piece, “From Wikinomics to Government
2.0,” the Internet and Web 2.0 technologies are transforming
everything from how citizens are combating crime (and thus cutting
down on police budgets) to better managing their neighborhoods.
(cont.)
The real benefits of new emerging technologies, though, can be
found in the areas of education and transportation. Innovative
teachers are now employing Curriki to constantly update their
curriculum; advances in electronics – such as Amazon’s new Kindle –
should help render textbooks obsolete; and the open-courseware
movement that MIT and other elite
universities are pursuing should make education less expensive by
making content freely available to anyone with Internet access.
In the area of transportation, roads, bridges and mass transit
systems are all expensive to build and operate. The innovative use
of sensors and satellite technology might, however, allow users to
more efficiently use our existing roads; and super high-speed
bandwidth capability – in combination with improved video and
virtual reality technology – should make working from home even
more practical in the near future.
The bottom-line is that there is absolutely no reason why
government should cost more in the future. People, especially
government officials, need to start thinking differently about how
to innovatively employ technology to better address today’s
existing problems.
Looking for some other innovative ideas about how technology
can save taxpayers money? Check out these past posts:
Embracing Change
The Future is Cheap
The Future of Education is
Now!
The Future of College
The Future of Kid’s
Health
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