The new November/December issue of Foreign Affairs has an article by Eric Schmidt, the Chair and CEO of Google. He is typically colorful and controversial, and the article is interesting. For example, in the very first paragraph he predicts: "Governments will be caught off-guard when large numbers of their citizens, armed with virtually nothing but cell phones, take part in mini-rebellions that challenge their authority." The official summary from Foreign Affairs is:
Increased connectivity allows for the spread of liberal, open values but also poses a number of dangers. To foster the free flow of information and challenge authoritarian regimes, democratic states will have to learn to create alliances with people and companies at the forefront of the information revolution.
Subscribers can view the article on the Foreign Affairs website. Non-subscribers can purchase a PDF copy for 99 cents there, too. My students can borrow my copy. Of course, brick and mortar libraries still exist, and they are likely to have copies, too.
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