I'm really an old-fashioned guy. I miss the time when nominations were actually decided at each party's national convention. And senate filibusters required the senator to keep speaking until expiring from exhaustion. At least the public knew what was happening - no nonsense about the measure failing on a "procedural vote." If you are older than the baby boomers, you know what I mean.
One reason I miss those thrilling days of yesteryear is that presidential campaigns were mercifully short. They didn't start until Labor Day. Better for suspense (not knowing who the nominee would be until the convention) and the dramatic unity of a relatively brief campaign. I miss "favorite son" nominations.
And one thing we didn't have in those olden days was the indignity of so-called presidential "debates." Candidates were subjected to other indignities - Calvin Coolidge in a Sioux war bonnet comes to mind - but nothing like the debates.
I don't like them because they tell us nothing about the skills a person needs to actually, you know, run the government. I have no desire to have a beer with the president and certainly wouldn't decide who to vote for because one candidate seems more amiable than the other candidate.
It all starts with school elections of the most popular students to be homecoming queen. Being president is more serious than skill at sound bites. Or celebrity - or even popularity. Charisma is good, but not essential.
Columnist Gail Collins in today's New York Times got the debate ritual right:
"It’s a little like one of those fairy tales where the citizens of the
kingdom pick their next king on the basis of a race to find the feather
of the golden swan."
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Patents - Good For Innovation?
A couple of months ago I posted some thoughts about the recent Microsoft win in a "look and feel" patent case. It reminded me of some earlier cases that I thought were questionable. But I did express support for the idea of protecting intellectual property by patents.
Now I'm not so sure.
I just skimmed through an interesting working paper by two authors from the research division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The authors, Michele Boldrin and David K. Levine have written "The Case Against Patents," challenging the idea that patants encourage innovation. Instead, they claim that patents stifle innovation.
Economist Mark Thoma provides a link to the paper here on his blog, "Economists View."
Incidentally, I am writing this on a computer using the Linux operating system (free) and open source software (free) that is more stable and reliable than Microsoft's proprietary products and in most ways more powerful.
Boldrin and Levine make a good case.
I still like copyrights, but I think our copyright law has gone overboard, as well.
Now I'm not so sure.
I just skimmed through an interesting working paper by two authors from the research division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The authors, Michele Boldrin and David K. Levine have written "The Case Against Patents," challenging the idea that patants encourage innovation. Instead, they claim that patents stifle innovation.
Economist Mark Thoma provides a link to the paper here on his blog, "Economists View."
Incidentally, I am writing this on a computer using the Linux operating system (free) and open source software (free) that is more stable and reliable than Microsoft's proprietary products and in most ways more powerful.
Boldrin and Levine make a good case.
I still like copyrights, but I think our copyright law has gone overboard, as well.
Weekly Reader
Sad report today from McClatchy - Weekly Reader is gone from the classroom.
I still remember some of the news articles. Most memorable was the two-page spread explaining the 1948 presidential election. It included the symbols for every political party and the names of the nominees. There were many parties that year with nominees, including the Vegetarian Party. That's where John McCain got his line from his first presidential campaign - that he wanted to appeal to every party, including the Vegetarian Party.
Eighty-four years was a pretty good run, but our children will be the poorer without it.
I still remember some of the news articles. Most memorable was the two-page spread explaining the 1948 presidential election. It included the symbols for every political party and the names of the nominees. There were many parties that year with nominees, including the Vegetarian Party. That's where John McCain got his line from his first presidential campaign - that he wanted to appeal to every party, including the Vegetarian Party.
Eighty-four years was a pretty good run, but our children will be the poorer without it.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Seventy Years Ago: Guadalcanal From Japan Point Of View
I just came across a really interesting historical article on Japanese plans for Guadalcanal, what they were attempting and why, and the Battle of Savo Island from their point of view. The article makes it plain that senior Japanese officers were consummate professionals.
By comparison with their US counterparts, Japanese Naval Officers had more difficulty coordinating Naval Operations with those of the Army. Unlike Nimitz and Halsey, who moved Army aircraft around as they wished, Japanese Naval Officers had no control over Japanese Army aircraft. This was a serious operational problem.
Another operational shortcoming for the Japanese is that their communications intelligence organization was not nearly as effective as ours. That's why they were caught completely off guard when the Marines stormed ashore on Guadalcanal in August.
It's a long article, but tells a very interesting story.
By comparison with their US counterparts, Japanese Naval Officers had more difficulty coordinating Naval Operations with those of the Army. Unlike Nimitz and Halsey, who moved Army aircraft around as they wished, Japanese Naval Officers had no control over Japanese Army aircraft. This was a serious operational problem.
Another operational shortcoming for the Japanese is that their communications intelligence organization was not nearly as effective as ours. That's why they were caught completely off guard when the Marines stormed ashore on Guadalcanal in August.
It's a long article, but tells a very interesting story.
The Navy Way
For years I have reflected that many of our institutions would work better if they were run like the Navy.
I don't mean by that to have a dictator at the top giving orders that are carried out with unquestioning obedience (the Navy doesn't actually work like that), but to follow the precepts of leadership attributed to John Paul Jones.
I recently came across an interesting post on the United States Naval Institute blog making reference to the John Paul Jones precepts and explaining how they might apply to political discourse. I recommend reading the post here.
I don't mean by that to have a dictator at the top giving orders that are carried out with unquestioning obedience (the Navy doesn't actually work like that), but to follow the precepts of leadership attributed to John Paul Jones.
I recently came across an interesting post on the United States Naval Institute blog making reference to the John Paul Jones precepts and explaining how they might apply to political discourse. I recommend reading the post here.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Rising Tide Lifts All Yachts
Lyndon Johnson was fond of observing: "a rising tide lifts all boats."
This was pretty true for twenty-five years following World War II. From about 1946 to 1971, income for all income groups tracked very closely with the increase in productivity for the US economy as a whole.
Then something happened. As economist Noah Smith put it in his blog about three months ago, "Something BIG Happened."
From that time to the present, productivity has continued to increase at about the same rate, but hourly wages for workers (adjusted for inflation) remains stuck at the 1971 level. Who gets all the profit from increased productivity? Mostly the top 1% of earners.
In other words, the rule now seems to be: "a rising tide lifts all yachts."
Noah Smith is puzzled. In a blog post last July, he notes that this phenomenon seems not to have been studied. He thinks it should be.
So do I.
Noah has offered some ideas about concurrent events that might be related - for example, the change from fixed to flexible exchange rates in international commerce. Or possibly the oil crisis. But no one seems to know for sure.
This was pretty true for twenty-five years following World War II. From about 1946 to 1971, income for all income groups tracked very closely with the increase in productivity for the US economy as a whole.
Then something happened. As economist Noah Smith put it in his blog about three months ago, "Something BIG Happened."
From that time to the present, productivity has continued to increase at about the same rate, but hourly wages for workers (adjusted for inflation) remains stuck at the 1971 level. Who gets all the profit from increased productivity? Mostly the top 1% of earners.
In other words, the rule now seems to be: "a rising tide lifts all yachts."
Noah Smith is puzzled. In a blog post last July, he notes that this phenomenon seems not to have been studied. He thinks it should be.
So do I.
Noah has offered some ideas about concurrent events that might be related - for example, the change from fixed to flexible exchange rates in international commerce. Or possibly the oil crisis. But no one seems to know for sure.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Old Times There Are Not Forgotten
I was moved by Kitty Dumas' op-ed in today's New York Times. She brought back memories of an earlier time and of names forgotten.
Kitty Dumas is too young to know the whole story. (I may be as well).
What moved me most was her account of the young white man at Ole Miss expressing gratitude for what Kitty Dumas' generation had done for him. There are some Mississippians who get it. I wish there were more who understood the Civil Rights movement was for them, too.
I'm glad to know that Jim Silver is still remembered at Ole Miss. And his friend William Faulkner. Other Mississippians come to mind who fought the good fight in the 1950's, before there was a Civil Rights movement: Will Campbell, Hodding Carter, P.D. East, Hazel Brannon Smith, and countless ministers of all faiths and colors.
Those stories also need to be told.
Kitty Dumas is too young to know the whole story. (I may be as well).
What moved me most was her account of the young white man at Ole Miss expressing gratitude for what Kitty Dumas' generation had done for him. There are some Mississippians who get it. I wish there were more who understood the Civil Rights movement was for them, too.
I'm glad to know that Jim Silver is still remembered at Ole Miss. And his friend William Faulkner. Other Mississippians come to mind who fought the good fight in the 1950's, before there was a Civil Rights movement: Will Campbell, Hodding Carter, P.D. East, Hazel Brannon Smith, and countless ministers of all faiths and colors.
Those stories also need to be told.
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