Country Quote by Jaan Tallinn
“If you happen to start a new country in the 1990s, you have the advantage of drafting new laws with the knowledge that the Internet is out there.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: TED Talk, 2016, Jaan Tallinn on technology and governance
New nations can embed digital rights and internet infrastructure from the start, avoiding legacy constraints.
In simple terms: New countries can design internet-friendly laws early.
Key Takeaway
Leverage the internet when drafting laws.
Themes
technology
governance
digital rights
innovation
Mood
optimistic
forward‑looking
Type
strategic
visionary
When to use this quote
- Constitution drafting
- digital infrastructure planning
- policy workshops
- tech startup ecosystems
Key Concepts
Internet policy
legal design
future societies
Questions to Reflect On
- How would you balance privacy with openness in new laws?
- What safeguards prevent digital inequality?
A Different Perspective
Existing political cultures may resist rapid digital integration.
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
