Month: November 2011

Posted on

Ronnie Reprise: On Democracy & Technology

Blog Wisdom
Public? What Public?

Horse and Buggy Representation in the Space Age

The representation aspect of our democracy is structured the way it is, primarily due to practical considerations: the unwieldiness of pure democracy.

But since computer technology is changing that, the same philosophical arguments that were made for representative democracy can now legitimately be used for emergent democracy. The only arguments against it before pertained to practicality, not principle.

Now that the practical barriers are being removed, no legitimate philosophical argument can be made against taking advantage of new technology to better fulfill the intent of the principles that The Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution were founded upon.

Continue reading “Ronnie Reprise: On Democracy & Technology”

Posted on

Mini-Me: ALL Candidates Fail Economics 101

Corruption, Government, Misinformation & Propaganda
Who? Mini-Me?

Are they stupid? Probably not. So this is a simple matter of lacking the integrity to do the homework, tell the truth, and be realistic. In other words, US politics as usual, all illusion and ideology, neither intelligence nor integrity.

Campaign promises they dismiss as either impossible or economically disastrous:
    • bringing back $2 a gallon gas.
    • sustained 5% GDP growth
    • balance the budget with lower tax revenues
    • returning to the gold standard
    • a trade war with China
    • a flat tax
    • Obama's green jobs initiative (unlikely to create jobs)

2012 candidates slip on Econ 101

Click on Image to Enlarge

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Every 2012 contender attended college. They all graduated. They went to schools like the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Texas A&M, Morehouse, Penn State and Emory.

But decades have passed since these Presidential candidates first stepped onto campus as freshmen. Is it time for an Econ 101 refresher course?

America's Econ 101 professors say yes. In their view, the candidates continue to offer ideas and policies that wouldn't pass muster in their classes — populated by 18 year-old college students.

“There are so many economic ‘misstatements' being made,” said Jonathan Lanning, a professor at Bryn Mawr who is teaching two introductory economics classes this semester. “And it isn't confined to any one candidate.”

Posted on

Seth Godin: Media Revolution & Scarcity of Attention

Blog Wisdom
Seth Godin

The extraordinary revolution of media choice

In the traditional model, you can only play one program at a time. One radio show or one movie or one show…

Scarcity of spectrum has changed just about every element of our culture. Scarcity of shelf space as well.

There are just a few radio stations in each market, and each station gets precisely one hour to broadcast each hour. Scarcity of spectrum, inflexible consumption (listen now or it's gone forever).

There are only a hundred or so channels on most cable systems. Each viewer is precious and you can only program one show at a time. So program for the largest audience you can find, because that's how you get paid. Share of viewership is everything.

There's only one shelf in front of that bookstore visitor at a time. That bit of shelf space is quite valuable… winner take all. Either the book is on that shelf or it's not.

And every trade show booth takes up a few hundred square feet. There can only be one booth in each location, so the trade show operator charges as much as she can for this particular spot. And having paid so much, the exhibitor tries to get people in and prevent the from leaving so soon. All of them.

BUT

Continue reading “Seth Godin: Media Revolution & Scarcity of Attention”