I've heard (and found from experience) that wordpress is a bit more professional and polished. Not having used TypePad a bunch, I couldn't give a very detailed comparison. But those are my two cents.
Not necessarily a great analogy. I think you are trying to liken cheap, possibly underpaid, labor to machines and factories. While I think that it is entirely possible that cheap Indian (or other) labor could replace more expensive American labor, I don't think low paid labor is exactly the next generation of technology. Something about likening cheap human labor to convenient innovations in technology just doesn't strike me as right.
Attacking the word "hacker" will definitely get response from the YC community. I think the YC community at large is in love with calling themselves "hackers".
Good things sparkly, aquamarine necklaces have become a unisex fashion accessories in this country, so that both men and women can enjoy this advance in technology.
I sure hope the next president and those in power have a chance to read articles like this. It might not be incontrovertible truth, but I do think that our current military industrial complex is mostly irrational and detrimental. How much progress would $2 trillion dollars have bought if we had spent it on creating and researching, instead of decimating and killing?