European Digital Sovereignty: Breaking Tech Dependency

Episode Notes

Heterodox Economic Foundations (00:00-02:46)

• Current economic context: Income inequality at historic levels (worse than pre-French Revolution)
• Problems with GDP as primary metric:
  • Masks inequality when wealth is concentrated
  • Fails to measure human wellbeing
  • American example: majority living paycheck-to-paycheck despite GDP growth
• Alternative metrics:
  • Human dignity quantification
  • Planetary health indicators
  • Commons-based resource management
  • Care work valuation (teaching, healthcare, social work)
  • Multi-dimensional inequality measurement
• Practical examples:
  • Life expectancy as key metric (EU/Japan vs US differences)
  • Education quality and accessibility
  • Democratic participation
  • Income distribution

Digital Infrastructure Autonomy (02:46-03:18)

• European cloud infrastructure development (GAIA-X)
• Open-source technology adoption in public institutions
• Local semiconductor production capacity
• Network infrastructure without US-controlled chokepoints

Income Redistribution via Tech Regulation (03:18-03:53)

• Digital services taxation models
• Graduated taxation based on market concentration
• Labor share requirements through tax incentives
• SME ecosystem development through regulatory frameworks

Health Data Sovereignty (03:53-04:29)

• Patient data localization requirements
• Indigenous medical technology development
• European-controlled health datasets for AI training
• Contrasting social healthcare vs. capitalistic healthcare models

Agricultural Technology Independence (04:29-04:53)

• European research-driven precision farming
• Farm management systems with European values (cooperative models)
• Rural connectivity self-sufficiency for smart farming

Information Ecosystem Control (04:53-05:33)

• European content moderation standards
• Concerns about American platforms' rule changes
• Public funding for quality news content
• Taxation mechanisms on disinformation spread

Democratic Technology Governance (05:33-06:17)

• Algorithmic impact assessment frameworks
• Evaluating offline harm potential
• Digital rights enforcement mechanisms
• Countering extremist content proliferation

Mobility Data Sovereignty (06:17-06:33)

• Public transportation data ownership by European cities
• Vehicle data localization requirements
• European component requirements for autonomous vehicles

Taxation Technology Independence (06:33-06:48)

• Tax incentives for European tech adoption
• Penalties for dependence on US vendors
• Strategic technology sector preferences

Climate Technology Self-Sufficiency (06:48-07:03)

• Renewable energy management software
• Carbon accounting tools
• Prioritizing climate technology in economic planning

Conclusion: Competing Through Rights-Based Innovation (07:03-10:36)

• Critique of American outcomes despite GDP growth:
  • Declining life expectancy
  • Healthcare bankruptcy
  • Gun violence
• European competitive advantage through:
  • Human rights prioritization
  • Environmental protection
  • Deterministic technology development
  • Constructive vs. extractive economic models
• Potential to attract global talent seeking better quality of life
• Reframing "overregulation" criticisms as human rights defense
• Building rather than extracting as the European model

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