How New Zealand Tamed the Great Depression

Gordon Dryden is a Kiwi friend of mine. Born in 1931, he dropped out of school at age 14 and went on to become — as he puts it — a legend in his own mind. He lives in Auckland and is co-author of UNLIMITED: The new learning revolution and the seven keys to unlock it.

Below the fold you will find an article adapted from a presentation by Gordon to New Zealand Futures Trust, Wellington, on March 17, 2009. As Gordon writes in an email to me, “The first bit might remind you of parts of India today – and the second half: other parts of India today.”
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Of IT and Pascal’s Wager

Technological Idiocy

Technological hubris is sometimes the result of infantile solipsism commonly encountered among those who are – paradoxically – at the two opposite ends of a spectrum of technical competence: those who are understand technology very intimately and those who have a very feeble grasp of what technology is. The former see the world and its concerns as merely a collection of technical problems just waiting to be solved by the available large collection of expensive technical wizardry; the latter are ignorant of technology but have a magical belief in the awe inspiring power of technology to solve all problems, technological or not.
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A Rational IT Policy: The Introductory Bits

Follow up to BJP’s Policy of “IT for All”.

In the following, I will present the features of a rational “IT Policy” and argue why it makes sense. This is only an academic exercise as this is not likely to be followed by the policymakers of India. Color me cynical but if Indian policymakers were in the habit of making rational policies, India would not be a desperately poor country, would it? Why India gets saddled with moth eaten policies made by inept policymakers is a different matter that we will save for a rainy day. But first, let’s talk IT and what it is.
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Is Karan Thapar an idiot?

I ask if Karan Thapar is a idiot or is he just a clueless retard? You might say that this is a false dichotomy — hardly much to choose from, you’d say. OK. How about if I rephrase that question: Is Karan Thapar a lobotomized cretin or is he a bottom-feeding douche bag? There, now you have a clear distinction. You may still reject the assumption implicit in the question — that he is either one or the other — and say that he is both. OK, I hear you and agree that my question is poorly phrased and so I conclude that he is all of the above.
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BJP’s “IT for All”

Information technology (IT) is arguably one of the more remarkable products of the advanced industrialized countries (AIC). Its development in the AICs and subsequent widespread use there indicates that IT tools are not only a consequence of economic growth and development, but is also the cause of further economic growth. Developing countries such as India are attempting to catch up and they are fortunate to have the use of IT at an earlier stage of their development than the currently developed countries had when they were developing.

I am pleased to note that the BJP believes in the use of technology for development. The BJP recognizes that IT enhances productivity and increases production. Their press release on the IT vision document is unequivocal and clearly lays out the components of the policy. It should be required reading for pundits and lay persons alike. Their policy declaration “IT for All” is bold, visionary, timel and ambitious. It is also fatally flawed and wrong-headed.
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Warren Buffett: “Our Country Has Faced Far Worse Travails”

Warren Buffett is an extraordinary man. His annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway share-holders is worth reading even if you aren’t one. Here’s an excerpt (below the fold) from an edited version of the letter published in Newsweek: Our Country Has Faced Far Worse Travails. Continue reading “Warren Buffett: “Our Country Has Faced Far Worse Travails””

Democracy and Elections

Elections are the most visible of the external trappings of the institution called democracy. Democracy, like other important institutions that support a liberal civil society, has an inside structure — a deep back-end — that is not visible. What you see is definitely not all that there is. There is an internal structure to this institution without which it is only a facsimile and not the real object. It could be a cargo-cult democracy.
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An Urban Voter’s Manifesto

We are urban Indians and we number around 400 million. Our aspirations are principally related to working hard for a living, caring for our families, educating our children, and being good and responsible citizens.

As an urban Indian, I will vote for a party that promotes the values that matter to my country, my family, and me. I address this open letter to the political parties who seek my vote in the upcoming elections. Drop me a line if you can credibly demonstrate that you share the concerns and values that we have.
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