The Next American Frontier [Must Read]

WSJ ^ | May 19th, 2008 | MICHAEL S. MALONE

[The_Republican]

The entire world seems to be heading toward points of inflection. The developing world is embarking on the digital age. The developed world is entering the Internet era. And the United States, once again at the vanguard, is on the verge of becoming the world's first Entrepreneurial Nation.

At the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, Frederick Jackson Turner delivered a paper to the American Historical Association – the most famous ever by an American historian. In "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," he noted that, according to the most recent U.S. census, so much of the nation had been settled that there was no longer an identifiable western migration. The very notion of a "frontier" was obsolete.

For three centuries the frontier had defined us, tantalized us with the perpetual chance to "light out for the territories" and start our lives over. It was the foundation of those very American notions of "federalism" and "rugged individualism." But Americans had crossed an invisible line in history, entering a new world with a new set of rules.

What Turner couldn't guess was that the unexplored prairie would become the uninvented new product, the unexploited new market and the untried new business plan.

The great new American frontiers proved to be those of business, science and technology. In the course of the 20th century, Americans invented more milestone technologies and inventions, created more wealth and leisure time, and reorganized their institutions more times than any country had ever done before – despite a massive economic depression and two world wars. It all reached a crescendo in the magical year of 1969, with the creation of the Internet, the invention of the microprocessor and, most of all, a man walking on the moon.

[The_Republican]

Great Nation and Great People Adapt and continue to march forward towards new Frontier!

What an uplifting article!

[DoughtyOne]

For all of our fears about privacy and security, for all the added pressures that will be created by heightened competition and clashing ambitions, America as an entrepreneurial nation will reward each of us with greater independence – and perhaps even greater happiness – than ever before.

In my experience, movements that held out the promise of greater happiness than every before, were generally based on fantasy.  The reality never met the expectations.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

I’m with you...it always appears as a plea to “utopian marxism”.

[DoughtyOne]

Agreed...

[indcons]

bookmarked

[mr_hammer]

With all the doom & gloom...hype about the next financial bubble it is refreshing to hear that our destiny actually lies with us, the individual!

[steel_resolve]

And when we have to go to war with China, we can fight them with our entrepreneurship and innovation, you know, instead of factories churning out bombs and tanks.

[The_Republican]

You will never ever be happy. Even if Limbaugh was President, Ann Coulter, Vice President, Michelle Malkin, Secretary of State, Sean Hannity, Secretary of Defense.

Even if that horrible fantasy world did come true, you will be crying about them selling you out.

You fear everything - including innovation, prosperity and competition. You fear losing so much that you would rather not play the game than lose.

Misery is your freind and destiny - continue to relish in it.

[purpleraine]

SPACE, the final frontier......................

[DoughtyOne]

For all of our fears about privacy and security, for all the added pressures that will be created by heightened competition and clashing ambitions, America as an entrepreneurial nation will reward each of us with greater independence – and perhaps even greater happiness – than ever before.

In my experience, movements that held out the promise of greater happiness than every before, were generally based on fantasy.  The reality never met the expectations.

You will never ever be happy.  I am reasonably happy.
Even if Limbaugh was President, Ann Coulter, Vice President, Michelle Malkin, Secretary of State, Sean Hannity, Secretary of Defense.  I wouldn't want Rush, Ann, Michelle, or Sean to hold these postions.  They're great at what they do, and their contributions are important from where they now make them.
Even if that horrible fantasy world did come true, you will be crying about them selling you out.  On a very few issues I might.  On most of them I wouldn't.
You fear everything - including innovation, prosperity and competition.  I like innovation, and competition.  I love prosperity.
You fear losing so much that you would rather not play the game than lose.  I've played the game for 34 years and continue to do so.
Misery is your freind and destiny - continue to relish in it.  I'm not miserable, so I can't continue to be miserable.

Other than that, you're spot on.