Washington Matters, Whether We Like it or Not

Remember when government didn't seem to matter while the dot-com bubble? We were building a New Economy, one that flouted all the traditional rules and flaunted its disdain for pesky lawmakers who didn't get research and didn't matter.

Silicon Valley prides itself on being libertarian, and at times Randian, in outlook. I'm bemused by the former -- it assumes that government, to put it more exactly than providing the rule of law and infrastructure that makes business work, is instead a pesky thing that just gets in the way. I'm disgusted by the latter -- it assumes that one's success has nothing to do with accidents of birth or luck.

But it's always very disappointing to see our leaders spend deep down zero time on discussing research and how it could lead the country out of its economic malaise. Clearly, it's moreover disappointing to hear most of them talk about innovation when they do -- I've maintained for some time that the late Sen. Ted Stevens, comical as his "intertubes" monologue was, was among the more tech-savvy of his colleagues.

Discussion that can potentially be useful

But any discussion of innovation is a discussion that can potentially be useful. Smart viewpoints and policies can emerge.

Roger Strukhoff holds a BA from Knox College, Certificate in Technical Communications from UC-Berkeley, and MBA from CSU-Hayward. He won a 2009 "Stevie" American Business Award for producing the best publication in its category. He is a former Publisher at IDG and Guest Lecturer at MIT. He splits most of his time between Silicon Valley and Southeast Asia, nevertheless can as well be found at www.twitter.com/strukhoff