Tim, today, yes, this very day, I purchased a paperback entitled The Fatal Conceit in Cedar Key, Florida! I agree with Hayek. His insight aligns with Chaos Theory and Complexity Theory.
Chaos Theory says the universe is self-organizing, and has its roots in Quantum Physics, which says deep reality, structure consists of self-organizing flows of energy. In economics, we would call this free market logic. Chaos Theory argues, with Hayek, that we create more damage through artificial interventions, e.g. state planning, than if we simply let things sort themselves out. In fact, Chaos is not chaotic. It is a "deep" logic at work.
Complexity Theory argues - with Hayek - that we often operate with incomplete information, because reality today in economics, politics, social dynamics, etc. has so many variables at work that we cannot begin to know all of them, let alone manipulate them. A great discussion of this is Nicholas Nassim Taleb's The Black Swan. Also, I am reading right now The Age of the Unthinkable: Why the New World Disorder Constantly Surprises Us and What We Can Do About It by Joshua Cooper Ramo (2009), who is CEO of Kissinger Associates! Ramo makes the argument for Complexity Theory and Chaos Theory in international affairs - forcefully and with specific reference to outdated mechanistic, Newtonian thinking about international reality.
In sum, Hayek got it right. He aligns with the best thinking today on Complexity and Chaos. This theoretical foundation needs to drive the Libertarian / Conservative argument into the future, for it aligns with the logic of the Internet, which is self-organizing, decentralized, complex, and yes chaotic too. I hope this helps. Let me know if I have missed something. Take care. Paul
Paul Rux, Ph.D.
IMAGINEER
www.paulrux.net
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Lesson of the Leaf
Kelin, yes, think of the leaf. The leaf falls from the tree at the right time. It does not tell the tree I want to fall now, or next week. You will like the leaf fall into your business at the right time. This is a Chinese Taoist teaching.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
A Coming Basic Choice: Ocean Shipping or Land Trucking
Here is something very interesting. On Monday last, your humble servant here attended the local Rotary International chapter in Crystal River, Florida, where his wife and he are first-time "snow birds." Next to me sat the head of planning for Citrus County, the County in which Crystal River is. We started to chat about the economic future of Citrus County, and he began to explain how it plans to build a seaport! We are on the Gulf of Mexico here, but people use the shorelines and bays for pleasure boating and fishing. Now, the County wants to create a seaport here - because it believes the price of oil will make transport of goods, materials by ship cheaper - and cleaner, too - than trucking. Citrus County, its proposed Port Citrus, wants to be the shipping hub for this part of Florida! Talk about looking ahead! The planner has invited me to visit with him at his office at the county seat of government. This is exciting for this writer, for he wants to learn more about Port Citrus, how the county came to this conclusion, and what plans are underway. Wow, for once, there is some good news to share! The message is: Do not wait for Washington or Wall Street to come to your rescue. Help yourself!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Something Extra
Amanda, thank you for this first-rate definition of Knowledge Management, or KM. Another way to state Knowledge Management is "lessons learned."
This is what we did, but what did we learn when we did it?
Too often we overlook the value of what we learn as a way to improve products, services, operations, processes.
Over the years, your humble servant here has encouraged his students to step back and do a KM self-assessment. We have unique paths in life; what we have learned may be of unique value. Too often we say, "Oh well, if I know this, everybody else knows it." This is a self-defeating trap. It robs us of finding and leverage that "something extra" that enhances our value.
This is what we did, but what did we learn when we did it?
Too often we overlook the value of what we learn as a way to improve products, services, operations, processes.
Over the years, your humble servant here has encouraged his students to step back and do a KM self-assessment. We have unique paths in life; what we have learned may be of unique value. Too often we say, "Oh well, if I know this, everybody else knows it." This is a self-defeating trap. It robs us of finding and leverage that "something extra" that enhances our value.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Miserablist History
February 22, 2012
Dear Christopher:
This year, I purchased and read as stunning analysis of why we have witnessed a sad decline in patriotism in Europe – and here. The book is The New Vichy Syndrome: Why European Intellectuals Surrender to Barbarism by Theodore Dalrymple, a retired British psychiatrist, who lives in the U.K.
His diagnosis is “miserablist” history. This is the result of the mindset that finds everything wrong about our country and no longer celebrates the good it has achieved, which is stunning. The “miserablist” moreover turns this constant bashing of history into social engineering rackets, fake jobs to fix the oh-so awful results of an oh-so awful country which can do no right and now must make reparations through all kinds of government give-away programs that provide big paychecks to the “miserablist” parasite.
You know the “miserablist” buzz words: racism, homophobia, warmongers, practitioners of genocide and slavery, sexism, environmental terrorists, ad nauseam. The folks who peddle such poison find ways to cash in on the programs that are to fix all of this terrible, awful, evil. Sadly, this kind of junk now permeates our educational systems at all levels, and it is not surprising that more and more people do not know the real, objective history of our great country. Dalrymple is sick of the self-serving whining.
America has been great because it has been good, to paraphrase a French visitor to America in the 1800’s, Alexis De Tocqueville. It is total dishonest, destructive, distortion to peddle, push this “miserablist” historical propaganda. It is time we took back our country from the parasites who push it.
Dear Christopher:
This year, I purchased and read as stunning analysis of why we have witnessed a sad decline in patriotism in Europe – and here. The book is The New Vichy Syndrome: Why European Intellectuals Surrender to Barbarism by Theodore Dalrymple, a retired British psychiatrist, who lives in the U.K.
His diagnosis is “miserablist” history. This is the result of the mindset that finds everything wrong about our country and no longer celebrates the good it has achieved, which is stunning. The “miserablist” moreover turns this constant bashing of history into social engineering rackets, fake jobs to fix the oh-so awful results of an oh-so awful country which can do no right and now must make reparations through all kinds of government give-away programs that provide big paychecks to the “miserablist” parasite.
You know the “miserablist” buzz words: racism, homophobia, warmongers, practitioners of genocide and slavery, sexism, environmental terrorists, ad nauseam. The folks who peddle such poison find ways to cash in on the programs that are to fix all of this terrible, awful, evil. Sadly, this kind of junk now permeates our educational systems at all levels, and it is not surprising that more and more people do not know the real, objective history of our great country. Dalrymple is sick of the self-serving whining.
America has been great because it has been good, to paraphrase a French visitor to America in the 1800’s, Alexis De Tocqueville. It is total dishonest, destructive, distortion to peddle, push this “miserablist” historical propaganda. It is time we took back our country from the parasites who push it.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Thoughts on the Funeral of Whitney Houston
Pastor, pardon my not thanking you sooner for the copy of the letter on freedom of religion in America and your thoughts on it. Here are some in reply.
Today, Jane and I watched the Whitney Houston funeral on TV. What hit your humble servant here good and hard were four things.
One, the bishop gave a powerful sermon on the God-given value of each and every one of us. It was truly a riveting affirmation of Faith and the Gospel, God's graces to us. He pointed out the human need for Faith and the Gospel as the source of meaning, purpose, and to use the words of your humble servant here, the source of "fair play," justice. It reminded this writer of the late American philosopher Russell Kirk who observed that all order - social, political, economic - starts with moral order first. God is the source of moral order.
Two, the Church brings God's moral order to us. The rite of Christian burial on our TV was a forceful reminder that America has been great because it has been good. It has built its foundations on God's moral order, His will for us. Our churches, the Church, have given us this bedrock foundation. The faithful persons in that church today - and others in other churches across this great land - are the source of the justice, charity, fair play, and moral courage that has sustained us through stormy seas. If we lose this foundation, the Church, we lose America.
Three, this is why in the opinion of this writer the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has been the greatest American of his day. Here is why. King called America to return to its moral roots. He had no money. He had no guns. He simply reminded us of our moral foundation, heritage, and asked us to act on it. He was not perfect, but he stood on the sure foundation of the Church, its Faith, Gospel, without which this country must, will fail.
Four, the church, Church, was full. I was seeing the Remnant who remain faithful, the hidden people of Faith on whom success or failure still rest, given the need for a moral foundation, bedrock to guide a country down healthy paths. I saw hope. At the same time, I felt despair that this country in so many ways has turned its back on God. Yet, we ought not to despair. You, as a pastor, play a crucial role in nurturing this Remnant. You need do no more. This writer prays for the will of God as a guide to his actions. We are not gods, assistant gods; we can be Faithful.
Today, Jane and I watched the Whitney Houston funeral on TV. What hit your humble servant here good and hard were four things.
One, the bishop gave a powerful sermon on the God-given value of each and every one of us. It was truly a riveting affirmation of Faith and the Gospel, God's graces to us. He pointed out the human need for Faith and the Gospel as the source of meaning, purpose, and to use the words of your humble servant here, the source of "fair play," justice. It reminded this writer of the late American philosopher Russell Kirk who observed that all order - social, political, economic - starts with moral order first. God is the source of moral order.
Two, the Church brings God's moral order to us. The rite of Christian burial on our TV was a forceful reminder that America has been great because it has been good. It has built its foundations on God's moral order, His will for us. Our churches, the Church, have given us this bedrock foundation. The faithful persons in that church today - and others in other churches across this great land - are the source of the justice, charity, fair play, and moral courage that has sustained us through stormy seas. If we lose this foundation, the Church, we lose America.
Three, this is why in the opinion of this writer the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has been the greatest American of his day. Here is why. King called America to return to its moral roots. He had no money. He had no guns. He simply reminded us of our moral foundation, heritage, and asked us to act on it. He was not perfect, but he stood on the sure foundation of the Church, its Faith, Gospel, without which this country must, will fail.
Four, the church, Church, was full. I was seeing the Remnant who remain faithful, the hidden people of Faith on whom success or failure still rest, given the need for a moral foundation, bedrock to guide a country down healthy paths. I saw hope. At the same time, I felt despair that this country in so many ways has turned its back on God. Yet, we ought not to despair. You, as a pastor, play a crucial role in nurturing this Remnant. You need do no more. This writer prays for the will of God as a guide to his actions. We are not gods, assistant gods; we can be Faithful.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Leave it to the dolphins to teach us new insights!
Over the weekend, my wife and I journeyed to Clearwater, Florida, to visit a dolphin aquarium. At the aquarium, the staff presented a show in which trained dolphins performed.
During the performance, the announced stated that the trainers always used positive reinforcement to get the dolphins to learn tricks. They never used negative reinforcement. If the dolphin did not do as expected, the trainers ignored it.
This really caught the attention of this writer - because of our study of Reinforcement Theory our course.
Your humble servant here grew up on the concept of "carrots" and "sticks" to motivate people. He never really thought about ignoring negative behavior in a neutral sort of way as a valid, reliable technique.
Perhaps the dolphins know something we do not. In any case, it is worth mulling. I hope this finds you in good healthy, spirits.
My wife and I are enjoying being "snow birds" from Wisconsin here in Florida until April. Dr. Rux, Crystal River, Florida
During the performance, the announced stated that the trainers always used positive reinforcement to get the dolphins to learn tricks. They never used negative reinforcement. If the dolphin did not do as expected, the trainers ignored it.
This really caught the attention of this writer - because of our study of Reinforcement Theory our course.
Your humble servant here grew up on the concept of "carrots" and "sticks" to motivate people. He never really thought about ignoring negative behavior in a neutral sort of way as a valid, reliable technique.
Perhaps the dolphins know something we do not. In any case, it is worth mulling. I hope this finds you in good healthy, spirits.
My wife and I are enjoying being "snow birds" from Wisconsin here in Florida until April. Dr. Rux, Crystal River, Florida
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