Rebounding Skins & Strategic Theory
What Coach Joe Gibbs taught through the 17-10 victory over the Eagles was strategy. In the last two offensive drives, he kept the ball on the ground, avoided dangerous plays, accepted the inevitable punting, and depended on his defense to protect the lead. He focussed on taking out the risk. This is the key to governing. With the power of technology and capitalism, the world will fill with wealth as long as governing authorities take out the risks -- of environmental damage, disease, war. They do not need to manage economies or select research projects or favor national champions. They need to keep markets open and create some public goods, but their main primary task everywhere is to take out exogenous risk, and allow firms and people to take their own business and personal risks. This is different than Gene's approach in his excellent book, but similar to the actual conduct of Messrs. Rubin, Greenspan, Summers, and Sperling when in government.
"He focussed on taking out the risk. This is the key to governing... They need to keep markets open and create some public goods, but their main primary task everywhere is to take out exogenous risk, and allow firms and people to take their own business and personal risks.."
Oh, Puleeez. Sounds like 19th century laissez-faire all over again. Who, pray tell, will act as "referee" for this global enterprise? The Multi-Nationals?
Oh yes, and who will look after those people who are not able to "take their own business and personal risks"? Wal-MArt?
And you were a "Democrat" under Clinton?
No wonder ClearChannel owns 1500 radio stations and brings us all Hannity all the time.
Grrrrrrr.
November 8, 2005 8:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
REED HUNDT:
I don't even know where to begin with this. For one, keep in mind that the United States of America has emerged as the world's only Superpower not through humble, self-appreciating hard work as many would like to believe. We are the most powerful nation because we do three things better than any other nation on Earth: Exploit, Consume, Destroy. And no, this is not a partisan issue. Since the Industrial Revolution the United States has made it policy use its strength to acquire the raw materials, workers, etc. to promote its economic agenda. We steal from third world countries and we comandeer the things we need. If we are to remain the premiere superpower of the world, we have no choice but to continue these practices. This is why it takes a certain breed of person to be President of the United States.
China is the emerging economic and military threat to the U.S. As natural, unrenewable natural resources such as oil become more scarce, the fight will become more intense to obtain as much of these materials as is possible before they are ultimately exhausted. Being that the Middle East is the MECCA of oil, and they hate the United States (more for our support of Israel than our recent endeavors in Iraq) I suspect the Middle Eastern nations will ally with China. That leaves the West (U.S. and Western Europe) to fend for themselves. A key factor in this escalating global pandemic is Russia. Although corrupt beyond the point of repair, Russia still has oil, population, and armaments to be a major factor. I have reason to believe Russia will join the China/Middle East alliance; thus tipping the scale away from the United States and Western Europe. Spheres of influence are being drawn and history, right now, is beginning to repeat itself as it has done prior to all other major global conflicts. Sitting back and being cautious, as you prescribe, would be a fatal error. China certainly will not sit back, nor will Russia or the Middle Eastern nations.
November 8, 2005 8:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
. . . after the Super Bowl. Or (probably) sooner, depending on when the Redskins clean out their lockers for the year.
Okay?
November 8, 2005 8:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think this is spot on and goes right along with the Clinton mantra about rewarding hard work and responsibility, which Sperling probably invented. It's also a nice way of talking about social respnsibility, instead of trying to make a case about people helping othres who are worse off, we should talk about how hard-working people such as you can get the shaft becuase of far-away economic events far beyond their control. And that is why we need decent, society wide pensions, health care, etc., because that is how we make sure deserving, hard-working people like you get back on their feet. Americans love safety, and counching these programs in terms of making life safer could work.
The environment works into this as well, that global warming and other environmental problems could cause us huge problems down the road, so it's worth it to spend some $ as insurance now. That's a harder sell becuase the environmental problems are less immediate-But using Katrina as an analogy we can point out that we sure wish we had spent some exta $ there now.
November 8, 2005 1:39 PM | Reply | Permalink