If It Isn't Subsidized, It Shall Be Prohibited

Last month, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.) suggested the government give every school-age child his own iPad. According to The Hill, when he was subsequently mocked for the proposal by right-wing talk radio, he strangely defended his idea by arguing "that technology is a product of the First Amendment, and also necessary to help maintain First Amendment rights."

This month? Jackson has reversed course, and is now assailing the iPad as a job-killer, and—again, weirdly—as a foreign threat to the First Amendment.

I wish I were making this up.

A few short weeks ago I came to the House floor after having purchased an iPad and said that I happened to believe, Mr. Speaker, that at some point in time this new device, which is now probably responsible for eliminating thousands of American jobs … now Borders is closing stores because, why do you need to go to Borders anymore? Why do you need to go to Barnes & Noble? Buy an iPad and download your book, download your newspaper, download your magazine….

…what becomes of publishing companies and publishing company jobs? What becomes of book stores and librarians and all of the jobs associated with paper? Well, in the not-too-distant future such jobs simply will not exist.

Steve Jobs is doing pretty well. He's created the iPad. Certainly it's made life more efficient for Americans, but the iPad is produced in China. It's not produced here in the United States. So the Chinese get to take advantage of our First Amendment values, that is, to provide freedom of speech through the iPad to the American people.

You really can't argue with that logic. Mostly because you really can't comprehend it.

Please, no one tell Jackson about what has happened to the typewriters. 

Reason.tv video on your iPad and your patriotism: