Politics & The Tools of Our Nations

Politics may be getting an overhaul sooner than we think and I'm not just talking about Obama's Change campaign. After taking a look at all the different legislation passing and tools being employed we may just see lesser tools in office.

FAREWELL MR. PRESIDENT
Regardless of your feelings about Dubya, he will be onto more shifty behind-the-scenes work come January 2009. As a parting gift, a team of filmmakers plan on splicing together some user-generated footage to present to him upon departure.Farewell Mr. President is video hosting site where users upload, watch and share videos of their personal goodbye's to the U.S. commander-in-chief. What's more likely, having your baby eaten by a Chupacabra or seeing a positive video get uploaded?

LESSIG & CONGRESS
Yes folks, you've probably already heard but Lawrence Lessig, father of Creative Commons and the grand poobah of Free Culture is considering running for Congress and will have an answer by about March 1st.

CARBON TAX
I'm in Victoria today and BC Minister of Finance Carole Taylor just gave the budget speech and announced a new carbon tax on fuel as the Province attempts to slash greenhouse gas emissions. In June British Columbians will receive a $100 cheque through the Climate Action Dividend and in July, the fuel tax will go into effect. The tax is meant to display the "real cost" associated with greenhouse gases. While there are plenty of folks who oppose this tax, it makes me proud that the most conservative provincial party is the one to implement this sort of green initiative. In the U.S. belief in greenhouse gases and global warming is less openly admitted in public and there are some particularly interesting theories around climate change. The Council on Foreign Relations produced an interesting media review of the initial presidential candidates. I think the kook of the GOP award goes to Tom Tancredo and his Time Magazine statement:

I have no doubt that global warming exists... I wonder why the Sierra Club isn't going crazy about the environmental aspects of massive immigration into the U.S. The fact is, Americans consume more energy than anyone else, so if a person moves here from another country, they automatically become bigger polluters.

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Politics & The Tools of Our Nations

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