John McCain's Technology Platform

[RoyGBiv]

McCain tech policy: crack down on piracy, fix patent mess

By Ryan Paul | Published: August 15, 2008 - 08:54AM CT

Presidential candidate John McCain has issued a policy statement that provides details of his position on a wide range of issues that relate to technology. Like most political statements from members of both major parties, it is heavy on promises and light on specific solutions.

The policy statement starts by addressing McCain's economic policies, which emphasize perpetuation of Bush's low tax on capital gains and reduction of the corporate tax rate. McCain also supports R&D tax credits and takes a strong position against taxation of the Internet and wireless services. The fact that tax cuts landed at the top of the list reflects the prominent role that the Republican take on fiscal conservatism will play in McCain's policy decisions.

It's worth noting that his plan to lower the corporate tax rate to 25 percent is ambitious, even by Republican standards. McCain contends that tax cuts will improve the economy and give American companies an incentive to stop moving their operations overseas.

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It is unclear what exactly determines when he will support regulation and when he will not. His policy paper claims that he supports regulation in cases where it is needed to protect consumers, but he explicitly opposes net neutrality despite clear evidence of abuses by major telecom companies.

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Link to Policy Statement

[That Is Quite Enough]

1. He opposes net neutrality? This man must be defeated.

[Yavin4]

3. You're Talking About A Candidate That Doesn't Even Use A Computer

He probably thinks that Net Neutrality has to do with commercial fishing.

[AnnieBW]

2. He wants to crack down on non-commercial fair use?

As if I needed a reason to vote against him anyway...

[PBS Poll-435]

4. I Thought THIS was McCain's Tech Platform...

[Arnold Judas Rimmer]

5. More like this

Except after McCain found out Turing was gay, he got scared of computers altogether.

[RoyGBiv]

6. Too advanced ...

I have heard some sources indicate he carries a pocket sized one of these with him. He doesn't really use it for its intended purpose, but the pretty colors keep him distracted, and he has fun.