Any state that wants to build digital competency needs to use FOSS. You want people to learn the intricacies of systems to be in control of your infrastructure

Any state that wants to build digital competency needs to use FOSS. You want people to learn the intricacies of systems to be in control of your infrastructure. That China has its own Linux distribution (the name red flag linux never fails to put a smile on my face) is a testament to proactive thinking. China is also an authoritarian surveillance state. Sadly western nations only mirror the surveillance part, not the digital competency one. If you put a number on the costs of these surveillance ambitions, it probably is in the magnitude of whole generations that put their back on political engagement in any form. All that is left are true believers in ultimate state authority. For China it works because they can attest a lot of growth, people feel their lives are turning to the better. I guess at some point they will demand freedom too, although that may be a process that also takes generations.