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George Soros, Bubble Book Boy |
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| Topic: Society |
6:36 pm EST, Jan 25, 2004 |
On January 12, George Soros, investor and philanthropist, launched his new book, The Bubble of American Supremacy: Correcting the Misuse of American Power, with a speech and discussion at the Carnegie Endowment. Soros: "I have never been involved in party politics but I am deeply disturbed by the direction America has taken under President Bush. It is not a matter of party politics or personal animosity against President Bush. I consider it crucial that the policies of the Bush administration be rejected in the forthcoming elections. Let me explain why." "2004 is not an ordinary election; it is a referendum on the Bush doctrine. The future of the world hangs in the balance. That is the other point that I want to make; it is not enough to defeat President Bush. We must also develop and adopt a more constructive vision." You can read a transcript of the speech, or you can download an MP3 of the introduction, speech, and discussion. George Soros, Bubble Book Boy |
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Why Libya Gave Up on the Bomb |
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| Topic: Society |
9:02 am EST, Jan 23, 2004 |
By linking shifts in Libya's behavior to the Iraq war, the president misrepresents the real lesson of the Libyan case. This confusion undermines our chances of getting countries like Iran and Syria to follow Libya's lead. ... Until the president is willing to employ carrots as well as sticks, he will make little headway in changing Iranian or Syrian behavior. The president's lack of initiative on this point is especially disappointing. ... and now you know the rest of the story. Why Libya Gave Up on the Bomb |
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| Topic: Society |
9:28 am EST, Jan 13, 2004 |
India and Pakistan have moved farther in the past 10 days than in the preceding 10 years. This is big news, and understanding why it happened yields big lessons. Musharraf has done more to battle extremism and promote reform than any Pakistani leader in the past quarter-century. The recent attempts on his life demonstrate that at the very least the extremists think he's fighting hard against them. But something equally important has happened in South Asia over the past 15 years. India has been transformed by a market revolution. Fareed Zakaria sees opportunity in recent regional economic and political developments. So, when the IBM engineers lose their jobs to the Indians, they might be saddened, but at least they should sleep well -- they're fighting terrorism! Wealth, or safety? Choose wisely. Opening in South Asia |
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| Topic: Society |
12:42 am EST, Jan 12, 2004 |
There is some bit of wisdom, some rule of nature, some law-like pattern, either grand or small, that you've noticed in the universe that might as well be named after you. Gordon Moore has one; Johannes Kepler and Michael Faraday, too. So does Murphy. Since you are so bright, you probably have at least two you can articulate. Send me two laws based on your empirical work and observations you would not mind having tagged with your name. Stick to science and to those scientific areas where you have expertise. Avoid flippancy. Remember, your name will be attached to your law. I don't have a law, but the typically edge.org collection of the smartest people on the planet is here and they've all got one. Many are fairly enlightening. I feel sooo uncool... OK, here is a shot: Given a set of similar products, the one which is least technologically sophisticated will be the most successful in the marketplace. What's Your Law? |
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The Bad Words Won't Go Away |
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| Topic: Society |
10:24 am EST, Dec 28, 2003 |
For generations, people were openly uptight about "those things" across the board. But we no longer are. And thus, banning the f-adjective in 2003 becomes a random, isolated gesture, displaying a studied daintiness that can only be defended with stammering vaguenesses. We are witnessing less a linguistic free-for-all than a narrowing of the gap between the formal and the informal in public discourse. Just like clothing, our language reflects who we are. Envision a heated debate on the floor of the Senate in the year 2020. The "gap" has completely disappeared, but Robert's Rules remain firmly in place. The Bad Words Won't Go Away |
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2003's Ideas: The Most Overrated and Underrated |
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| Topic: Society |
12:15 pm EST, Dec 27, 2003 |
An essential component of beauty is being undermined and will soon be practically eliminated, and that is scarcity. If there is only one right way of doing things, every other way is wrong. Anybody can complain, blog and find fault; the real intellectual might try to solve problems. Capitalism and democracy are sometimes equated, but ... get over that fairy tale. ... There's long been a mostly unrewarded group in the middle: people with great taste in music ... ... email, cell phones, working nights and weekends, "working out" ... What are we trying to prove? The demand for truthful answers to the most essential questions is more and more often dismissed as "partisan" or, worse, "unpatriotic" ... integrity made to seem weak ... what could be more terrifying than the prospect of a society that no longer has the desire, the will, the energy or the ability to distinguish between the truth and the spin that our leaders would prefer us to believe? 2003's Ideas: The Most Overrated and Underrated |
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Santa Needs an Image Expert |
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| Topic: Society |
2:01 pm EST, Dec 26, 2003 |
It appears that Santa's image as a sacred icon of American popular culture and childhood lore is a bit shopworn. One reason, say those who have observed the changing role of Santa in the culture, is that children, exposed to an overwhelming array of consumer goods and products, know at increasingly young ages that presents come not from the North Pole but from the mall or the FedEx guy. Nor do many of them view shopping and the receiving of gifts as a rare experience, or as a reward, but as a ritual practiced almost daily. Child, to Mom: "Toy shopping? Again? Do I have to?" Santa Needs an Image Expert |
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| Topic: Society |
11:07 pm EST, Dec 22, 2003 |
Those who say the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty is useless argue that the bad guys either don't sign the treaty, or they do and then cheat. The good guys sign and obey, but the treaty is irrelevant for these countries because they have no intention of becoming nuclear proliferators in the first place. This all-or-nothing argument is wrong. "Formers" of the Clinton and Bush-41 administrations, including Ashton Carter, Arnold Kanter, William Perry, and Brent Scowcroft, wrote this op-ed for the New York Times. Good Nukes, Bad Nukes |
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| Topic: Society |
9:10 am EST, Dec 13, 2003 |
Many of these rules, reflections and quotations came from my role as Chairman of the "transition team" for President Gerald R. Ford and my service as White House Chief of Staff. Others came from experiences as a U.S. Naval Aviator, a Member of Congress, Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Secretary of Defense, Presidential Middle East Envoy, business executive, Chairman of the US Ballistic Missile Threat Commission, and other experiences. These reflections and quotations have been gathered over the past 40 years. There are many good rules here, but here is my personal selection: 1. Learn to say "I dont know." If used when appropriate, it will be often. 2. It is easier to get into something than to get out of it. 3. Dont divide the world into "them" and "us." 4. Keep your sense of humor. 5. If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much. 6. Dont be a bottleneck. 7. Look for what's missing. 8. For every human problem there is a solution that is simple, neat and wrong. 9. Simply because a problem is shown to exist doesnt necessarily follow that there is a solution. 10. If you develop rules, never have more than ten. Rumsfeld's Rules |
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| Topic: Society |
9:08 am EST, Dec 13, 2003 |
Colin Powell kept a set of rules on his desk. Here are a few: Get mad, then get over it. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it. Be careful what you choose. You may get it. Check small things. Share credit. Have a vision. Be demanding. Powell's Rules |
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