Looking at the microeconomic situation I see a continued deterioration of the US economic position. The automobile industries, the aeronautical industries, computer industries, and pharmaceutical/bio-tech industries are all experiencing a declining financial position as illustrated by downgrades of their bond ratings.
The management is incompetent, and the union leaders allowed it to happen when they should've demanded that GM and Ford (but especially GM) engage the hybrid side of automobiles. Everyone in the American car industry is a fuck-up, as far as I'm concerned. Anyone could've predicted this, knowing that competition for oil would pick up as China and India (among others) continued to rise, and that, consequently, the price would rise.
As far as technology is concerned, I see America losing a bit of its edge in biotech, but generally maintaining strength in computers. Two companies control over 95% of the operating systems market (Apple with about 5-6%, and Microsoft with about 90%). There's very little room to fight there, and it's going to be a century before any company can even think of ripping away Microsoft's near-monopoly. Now, on the actual boxes (Dell, HP, Sony, etc.), other countries will be able to compete.
I'd like to think we can find a better industry leader than Dell, but I'm a partisan. ;) Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
Two companies control over 95% of the operating systems market (Apple with about 5-6%, and Microsoft with about 90%).
As far as business model goes, Apple M$ and Sun think they can make money by selling you the operating system for more than it's worth and providing free support. The Open Source community believes they can give you the OS for free and make money on customization and support. We'll see who's right.
Given the time scales involved (Moore's law), it takes much less than a century to take down a monopoly in the computing industry. guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
