Thousands of crumbling bridges, millions of gaping potholes, billions of dropped calls, limited bandwidth, a fragile electric grid, antiquated nuclear power plants, water and sewer systems that are decrepit and dangerous.  This is not the foundation for another “American Century”.  It is the disaster of the infrastructure in the United States half way through the second decade of the century.

In the last column here, I referenced numerous dialogues I had from 2008-2011 as I gave speeches all across this country.  In the dark months and years of the Great Recession I was consistently asked the question “How can …

What might the future of the Internet be?  What can it be?  How empowering can it be for Capitalism and Democracy in the 21^st century? What must we do to maximize the positive possibilities the Internet provides humanity as we stand at the fork in the road Buckminster Fuller foresaw decades ago: – Utopia or Oblivion?

As a futurist this is the perspective from which  I think about the current issues of “net neutrality” or the “open net”.  The current debate on Net Neutrality is now center stage due to a court ruling forcing the FCC to suggest a new doctrine.  …

This column first appeared in the Shift Age Newsletter.

Regardless of what transpires in the geo-political landscape relative to the civil war in Syria, it may well be looked upon as a pivot point for citizens of the United States.  This could be the beginning of a necessary and critical conversation about the future of the country in the Shift Age and, longer term, in the 21^st century.

Twenty years ago the United States “won” the Cold War.  Twelve years ago the country was attacked by Al Qaeda.  This prompted the country to enter two wars in Islamic countries.  It …