Comments for EconSquare http://econsquare.wordpress.com A policy discussion forum. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:07:21 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Tocqueville’s thought in the Web 2.0 world by Leroy http://econsquare.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/the-tocqueville%e2%80%99s-thought-in-the-web-2-0-world/#comment-25 Leroy Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:07:21 +0000 http://econsquare.wordpress.com/?p=189#comment-25 Not to take anything from experts and scholars who have trained long hours to establish credibility, but Web 2.O offers a great opportunity to the over 95% of people who are not scholars. Don't tell me that among this great mass there is not very specialized knowledge. The mission ought to be to empower more people with internet access so that the world can move towards being flat, to borrow the expression from Thomas Friedman. In giving opportunities and a platform to people to express their thoughts and experiences, the common person who by the way, is not stupid, will learn to discern truth. Individuals are coming to terms that doctors are not gods and journalists are not omniscient. It was great when theological power was shifted from religious authorities with widespread publication of the Bible. Naturally, one can put a "dark face" on this authority since doctrines were used to promulgate slavery or the subjugation of women when "there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female... in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). It is about time that individuals are empowered to better search for truth and have a resource such as Lulu.com where they can publish their own narrative rather than being left to the mercy of a subjective editor. News will still be reported, books will still be published but everyone will have to step up and be more creative and responsible in qualifying the source of their information. I think having less of an information powerbroker will force people to interface with each other and "peer review" what they are learning. The experts and authorities will still be there and they too will do well to dig deep or give us fresh perspectives that would reflect a committed professionalism. In the end everyone benefits and we will be on the path to being a more responsible person. Not to take anything from experts and scholars who have trained long hours to establish credibility, but Web 2.O offers a great opportunity to the over 95% of people who are not scholars. Don’t tell me that among this great mass there is not very specialized knowledge. The mission ought to be to empower more people with internet access so that the world can move towards being flat, to borrow the expression from Thomas Friedman.

In giving opportunities and a platform to people to express their thoughts and experiences, the common person who by the way, is not stupid, will learn to discern truth. Individuals are coming to terms that doctors are not gods and journalists are not omniscient. It was great when theological power was shifted from religious authorities with widespread publication of the Bible. Naturally, one can put a “dark face” on this authority since doctrines were used to promulgate slavery or the subjugation of women when “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female… in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28).

It is about time that individuals are empowered to better search for truth and have a resource such as Lulu.com where they can publish their own narrative rather than being left to the mercy of a subjective editor.

News will still be reported, books will still be published but everyone will have to step up and be more creative and responsible in qualifying the source of their information. I think having less of an information powerbroker will force people to interface with each other and “peer review” what they are learning. The experts and authorities will still be there and they too will do well to dig deep or give us fresh perspectives that would reflect a committed professionalism. In the end everyone benefits and we will be on the path to being a more responsible person.

]]> Comment on Tocqueville’s thought in the Web 2.0 world by luigi http://econsquare.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/the-tocqueville%e2%80%99s-thought-in-the-web-2-0-world/#comment-16 luigi Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:25:34 +0000 http://econsquare.wordpress.com/?p=189#comment-16 While I can see the point in Keen's argument, I still believe it might be misguided to say that Web 2.0 is destroying expertise. Let me bring one recent example: Il Fatto Quotidiano, a daily newspaper that is going to be created in September in Italy, being the first newspaper without open or covert political sponsorship. A newspaper that has gathered the necessary funding from Internet users, who have shown to be willing to pay and to reward expertise, whenever they are offered a product they value. Secondly, I mean, whenever one reads a blog, the author's credentials also affect the credit one gives to what the blog says. In other words, I think that Keen's argument, while possessing a grounding of truth, tries to reach too far by lumping Web 2.0 altogether as a menace to traditional media, rather than, possibly, also as a resource. However, I enjoyed your post, which brings welcome diversity of opinion. While I can see the point in Keen’s argument, I still believe it might be misguided to say that Web 2.0 is destroying expertise. Let me bring one recent example: Il Fatto Quotidiano, a daily newspaper that is going to be created in September in Italy, being the first newspaper without open or covert political sponsorship. A newspaper that has gathered the necessary funding from Internet users, who have shown to be willing to pay and to reward expertise, whenever they are offered a product they value.
Secondly, I mean, whenever one reads a blog, the author’s credentials also affect the credit one gives to what the blog says. In other words, I think that Keen’s argument, while possessing a grounding of truth, tries to reach too far by lumping Web 2.0 altogether as a menace to traditional media, rather than, possibly, also as a resource. However, I enjoyed your post, which brings welcome diversity of opinion.

]]> Comment on Immigration policy as a tool of neoliberal reform by luigi http://econsquare.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/immigration-policy-as-a-tool-of-neoliberal-reform/#comment-14 luigi Sat, 18 Jul 2009 19:36:50 +0000 http://econsquare.wordpress.com/?p=109#comment-14 Incidentally, it is also interesting to consider how these anti-immigration policies have been accompanied by the parallel lifting of the requirements for immigrants to become citizens (and to vote). Immigration, by displacing people in the hands of foreign governments, offers neoliberal regimes the possibility to benefit companies, without undermining their political consent (as immigrants cannot vote). Is this twenty-first century slavery? Incidentally, it is also interesting to consider how these anti-immigration policies have been accompanied by the parallel lifting of the requirements for immigrants to become citizens (and to vote). Immigration, by displacing people in the hands of foreign governments, offers neoliberal regimes the possibility to benefit companies, without undermining their political consent (as immigrants cannot vote). Is this twenty-first century slavery?

]]> Comment on Creating a world without poverty by Luigi Russi http://econsquare.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/creating-a-world-without-poverty/#comment-8 Luigi Russi Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:43:38 +0000 http://econsquare.wordpress.com/?p=52#comment-8 Interesting article. Interesting article.

]]> Comment on The commercialization of sport – The Olympic Games by Luigi Russi http://econsquare.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/the-commercialization-of-sport-the-olympic-game/#comment-7 Luigi Russi Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:02:48 +0000 http://econsquare.wordpress.com/?p=20#comment-7 True, the commercialization of sports is a good thing if we look at it from an athlete's perspective. However, we mustn't forget that the growing doping scandals that have burst across disciplines as varied as soccer, athletics and cycling tell us another important thing about sport becoming a business. Namely, they warn against the added pressure imposed upon athletes to achieve results and stunning performance, sometimes by risking their own health. The commercialization of sport might be inevitable, but we must avoid to turn modern athletes into today's "gladiators", dying (or - however - harming themselves) for the pleasure of the audience. True, the commercialization of sports is a good thing if we look at it from an athlete’s perspective. However, we mustn’t forget that the growing doping scandals that have burst across disciplines as varied as soccer, athletics and cycling tell us another important thing about sport becoming a business.
Namely, they warn against the added pressure imposed upon athletes to achieve results and stunning performance, sometimes by risking their own health.
The commercialization of sport might be inevitable, but we must avoid to turn modern athletes into today’s “gladiators”, dying (or – however – harming themselves) for the pleasure of the audience.

]]> Comment on The commercialization of sport – The Olympic Games by Luigi Russi http://econsquare.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/the-commercialization-of-sport-the-olympic-game/#comment-6 Luigi Russi Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:58:04 +0000 http://econsquare.wordpress.com/?p=20#comment-6 Informative and well-written. Brava! Informative and well-written.
Brava!

]]> Comment on Discussion on the article “Immmigrant-boss: the new face of one out of three companies” from the Corriere della Sera by Luigi Russi http://econsquare.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/discussion-on-the-article-immmigrant-chief-the-new-face-of-one-over-three-companies-from-the-corriere-della-sera/#comment-5 Luigi Russi Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:34:39 +0000 http://econsquare.wordpress.com/?p=8#comment-5 "non EU citizen are real managers: employers of themselves because they risk from the moment of leaving their native country in order to find fortune in another land." I agree. Knowing to be in a foreign land does spur people to work harder in order to carve out their role in society. Moreover, I believe that the situation in Italy might also be caused by the lack of a truly entrepreneurial mindset in the new generations, those that former Italian Finance minister Tommaso Padoa Schioppa labeled as "bamboccioni" (roughly meaning "grown-up kids"). Italy's decreasing population has, in fact, translated into the fact that fanilies tend to have less children and to protect them more to "keep 'em home and safe". This attachment to (and by) their respective families, however, makes young people less eager to live life by their own rules, which - in my view - also translates in a general "soft" attitude towards risk (including economic one), hard work and sacrifice. Too many Italians are, today, always ready to complain, without pondering for a moment whether there might actually be something THEY can do to change things around and to dig their own path in life. “non EU citizen are real managers: employers of themselves because they risk from the moment of leaving their native country in order to find fortune in another land.”

I agree. Knowing to be in a foreign land does spur people to work harder in order to carve out their role in society.
Moreover, I believe that the situation in Italy might also be caused by the lack of a truly entrepreneurial mindset in the new generations, those that former Italian Finance minister Tommaso Padoa Schioppa labeled as “bamboccioni” (roughly meaning “grown-up kids”). Italy’s decreasing population has, in fact, translated into the fact that fanilies tend to have less children and to protect them more to “keep ‘em home and safe”. This attachment to (and by) their respective families, however, makes young people less eager to live life by their own rules, which – in my view – also translates in a general “soft” attitude towards risk (including economic one), hard work and sacrifice.
Too many Italians are, today, always ready to complain, without pondering for a moment whether there might actually be something THEY can do to change things around and to dig their own path in life.

]]> Comment on Authors by Vaclav Vana http://econsquare.wordpress.com/about/#comment-3 Vaclav Vana Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:14:05 +0000 #comment-3 Alice, very nice blog, God bless you in Atlanta, always impressed with your hard work. Greetings from Merced, CA. Vasek Alice, very nice blog, God bless you in Atlanta, always impressed with your hard work. Greetings from Merced, CA. Vasek

]]> Comment on Discussion on the oil crisis. by Commodities » Discussion on the oil crisis. http://econsquare.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/discussion-on-the-oil-crisis/#comment-2 Commodities » Discussion on the oil crisis. Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:44:41 +0000 http://econsquare.wordpress.com/?p=4#comment-2 [...] the rest of this great post here [...] [...] the rest of this great post here [...]

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