An excellent article in the Washington Monthly by Robert McChesney and John Podesta entitled "Let There Be Wi-Fi" takes a look at the importance of working towards universal broadband access throughout the United States.

"In the not-so distant future, broadband will be an indispensible part of economic, personal and public life," the authors write. "Those countries that achieve universal broadband are going to hold significant advantages over those who don't. And so far, the United States is poised to be a follower -- not a leader -- in the broadband economy."

The authors make an excellent case for municipal wireless networks, an issue that's currently quite a hot topic. "Fourteen states in the United States now have laws on the books restricting cities and towns from building their own high-speed Internet networks," they write. "No wonder America is falling behind its Asian competitors."

The major obstacle to free municipal wireless broadband, they point out, isn't technical -- it's political.

Though they acknowledge the power and influence of big business and other special interests who are keen to block municipal wireless, they make a strong case for the inevitability of these deployments. "Community Internet has the potential to revolutionize and democratize communications in this country," they write.

Xenophon points out that this is an echo of the same fears that surfaced two decades ago regarding other things Asian, like cars and microchips -- and the creatively-named wasp jerky writes, "Broadband Internet is a major component of tomorrow's society, particularly its economy. And, apparently, we're getting our collective ass kicked."