Power Outage In The Corridors Of Power

Right now there is a massive internet disruption happening in the Middle East and North Africa, a problem that at the moment is being attributed to a boat anchor accidentally cutting undersea cables and that sources in the area are saying could take weeks to fix.

Among the sectors most affected are the markets in India and Dubai -- markets that have been hard pressed anyways of late due to the global economic slowdown. The economic ramifications of this event won't be known until much later, but they are sure to be significant.

This brings up a big question -- could it happen here? If this administration can't even handle routine disaster planning, what does this say for our ability to withstand such a huge, impactful accident (much less a "digital Pearl Harbor"?) It's time we elect a generation of political leaders that understand all the wonders -- as well as the many dangers -- of the "cutting-edge" of technology.

Final note: I know that governments both here and overseas have satellite backup systems, but sometimes I wonder if anyone would even notice if our gridlocked government shut down entirely?