Question : When they say "embracing compromise" what do they really mean ? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No problem whatsoever with Steve Jobs as innovator. Quite the opposite. To become that good at innovation, and also to be relevant every step of the way, well, who wouldn't wish to have that kind of track record ? The problem concerns the social values that came along with it. Those I cannot live with. So, the further question concerns the well deserved lionization of Steve Jobs and how to decouple that, which is A+, from the values he not only privately espoused but sought to impose on others. Re : One example, de facto censorship of the Manhattan Declaration. There are comparisons to make --to nation states. For sure these comparisons are anything but 1 : 1 in nature. In ways they are wholly inappropriate. But for purposes of discussion they have their uses. Consider China. Who isn't impressed by the achievements of the People's Republic ? Is there any need to list them all ? The Chinese have morphed from utter backwardness to cutting edge in two generations. But what about all the issues that have gone along with this transformation ? Religious faith, while the situation is not as dire as it once was, remains a risky business to express, with some groups like Falun Gong and house church Christians especially vulnerable. There is massive pollution. Social inequality and corruption are everywhere, and increasing. Etc. The point is NOT that Apple has these kinds of problems but that it, too, has its problems and that they are serious. Singapore is another --but more benign-- example. More success story and deserved plaudits. But it is also a censorship society, its seems to be over-regulated, and gvt is authoritarian. For sure, Singapore is an achievement society. Gotta admire it. But would any of us as Americans want to live under its rules ? I look at Apple and see something analogous. Not to be impressed is impossible .I am amazed, in fact. But not to be sickened by Steve Jobs' social values --obviously selected ones, some are perfectly OK-- is also impossible. Apple is Singapore, in other words, and Steve Jobs was Lee Kwan Yew. But with approximately the opposite of Yew's morality. How I see it, anyway. Billy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - message dated 10/7/2011 [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) writes:
I'm starting to really like these guys... I hope they have the stamina to stay the course... What Can Steve Jobs Teach Us About Political Innovation? _http://CAMod.org/2011/10/what-can-steve-jobs-teach-us-about-political-innov ation/_ (http://camod.org/2011/10/what-can-steve-jobs-teach-us-about-political-innovation/) Here at the California Moderate Party, we don’t do polling or focus groups to craft our message. Our idea has always been simple, revolving around three themes: collaboration, innovation, and results. We’re not technocrats, but our effort is premised on the idea that it’s possible to set aside political ideology from the task of solving problems. There’s _no doubt_ (http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/heritability_of_partisan_attachment.pdf) that we all have an ideological lens through which we filter our preferences on certain issues; however, clutching to these gut instincts to the exclusion of compromise is quickly becoming an antiquated approach to politics. Hence, our focus on political innovation. Dare we live in an era when merely coming to the table with a willingness to listen to the ideas of others is considered innovative. As Matt Bai _writes_ (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/06/what-steve-jobs-understood-that-our-politicians-dont/) : If Mr. Jobs and Apple grappled successfully with the complexities of modern life, however, then American politics, across the ideological spectrum, mostly wished them away. In our political debate, there is no compatibility between the notions of customization and community, the twin pillars of the digital age. It’s always one or the other. Either we’re being told that centralized, 20th-century systems can never be changed to accommodate more individual flexibility (like say, decoupling health care from employment), or we’re being told that all federal programs are wasteful and that every American should basically fend for himself. Either we’re supposed to rely entirely on large institutions, or we’re supposed to rely only on ourselves. You don’t have to tell us, Matt. We’ve been carrying this banner for a while now and will continue to do so until we can create the positive disruption our political system needs. A big challenge to being innovative is that you’re sometimes ahead of the curve – timing can be crucial when you’re introducing a new product in any marketplace. We were all saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ passing this week. One of the lessons we can be reminded of, however, is the value of _divergent thinking_ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U) . Remember, it was Apple who first told us to _“Think Different:”_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_Different) Engadget was gracious enough to _aggregate_ (http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/05/steve-jobs-in-his-own-words/) some of the best quotes from philosopher Jobs. Perhaps the most relevant quote listed is the following: Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. – Steve Jobs A third party that represents the mainstream, embraces compromise, and is focused on solving problems isn’t a novel idea. It’s just one that hasn’t been aggressively pursued until now. Yeah, I’m talking to all the political innovators out there. Let’s do this! (http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/05/steve-jobs-in-his-own-words/) Then again, collaboration isn’t a new concept; it’s just foreign to our politics. Thankfully the people who are crazy enough to think they can change our politics are the ones who will. Thank you, Steve Jobs, for pushing the limits of humanity. We are inspired by your drive to create things we’ve never seen before, but more grateful for the path you’ve paved for the up-and-coming innovators that are going the make our world a better place than you left it. Of course, we know that ’s exactly what you were hoping for. Sent from my iPhone -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: _http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism_ (http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism) Radical Centrism website and blog: _http://RadicalCentrism.org_ (http://radicalcentrism.org/) -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
