Ideas Matter

Think Tanks, Video and Experimentation

State Policy Network has just come out with their second in a video series on the Constitution and its erosion. The production values in this piece are pretty darn good. Indeed, this piece is much better than most of what think tanks turn out. If I had any critique, it would be that the talking heads disrupt the flow of a pretty good narrative. In any case, the view count of this piece suggests it's not getting the eyeballs it deserves. 

Milton Friedman Friday: Don't Forget it's Friedman's Century

A condition of freedom is rare, says Milton Friedman. And he's right. In order to preserve it -- and especially to restore it -- we've got to celebrate it. We have to celebrate its meaning for us and its implications for the rest of humanity (especially that portion of humanity that still lives under tyranny). That's what Milton Friedman did in his life. Because of his work, people are still rising out of poverty and servitude today.

So how can you celebrate? There are a number of ways...

Fraser Founder on the Ongoing Impact of Milton Friedman

Michael Walker is founder of the Fraser Institute. No doubt, Walker and the Fraser Institute will be celebrating Milton Friedman's Century -- will you? 

Mavens, Connectors, Evangelists - What are you?

Entrepreneurs create value in society. But there are different types of entrepreneurs. An interesting way of understanding types of entrepreneurs comes from Bijoy Goswami, Malcolm Gladwell and -- originally perhaps -- from the The Baghavad Gita. 

Recall that in Gladwell's The Tipping Point there were three basic behavioral types for spreading messages. But as Goswami points out in the video above, these “core types” hold in business, too. Indeed, in just about every sphere of life. The core types are Mavens, Relators and Evangelists (MRE).

Milton Friedman: "We Cannot Continue Half Slave, Half Free"

For a little background, Milton Friedman is talking to a special interest group -- the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), which is still around today. Friedman warns generally about the threat of government growth and the loss of freedom. He says we cannot continue to exist in this half-state -- that is, "half-slave, half-free." But around 3:40, something interesting happens. Friedman courageously shows how the manufacturers are themselves becoming more and more beholden to government. The "masters" are no longer customers, Friedman says, Washington bureaucrats are.

Walter Williams on Envy Politics and Corporate Taxes

Walter Williams gives the trustafarians of the "Occupy" movement what for in this great clip. But I want to draw your attention to the bit about corporate taxation. That is: do companies pay taxes?

John Hood: Dissecting the Occupy Movement

John Hood is being charitable here, but he's dead on. The Occupy Wall Street movement was orchestrated by professional protesters that have been active since the anti-globalization movement of the 90s. Where I think Hood might be pulling punches is on the composition of the movement. Who are they predominantly?

Think Different, Mate Ideas, Get Rich

I am somewhat heartened by the great outpouring of positive emotion for Steve Jobs. He was, after all, a rich guy. But why was he rich?

Chris Rufer on Self-Management

There were few posts last week because your humble editor was at the mother ship talking with his colleagues about management philosophies. I think it was a fruitful discussion. And one of the management philosophies we discussed comes from the Self-Management Institute. Self-management is a radical departure from most command-and-control styles. Above is the Institutes's founder and resident guru, Chris Rufer.

Why Nature Has No Managers

I came across this great little presentation on Google+ The speaker, Lanny Goodman, discusses the basic idea of self-management, which has become more than a trend due to some proven successes.

But editor, you may be wondering, why do you sometimes put up these videos on organization theory?