Rant, triggered off by someone I don’t know who, on one of Jeff Ford’s posts, trotted out the tired old “taxes are theft under threat of violence” idea:

Not only is this absurdly melodramatic, it’s dead wrong.

Taxes are a mechanism by which we collectively contribute to the common good as we’re each able to do so. We sanction people who refuse to contribute, even though they could, and we do that in part because those people have already benefited from those collectively funded common goods. If they refuse to join in the system because it isn’t voluntary (as if their individual will was some grand and sacred thing), there is a thief in that scenario – but it’s not the government.

If you’re on the Internet, you are using a system the original development of which was paid for by taxes. You’re using a device which is only possible because of a system of international trade, ports, transport systems, standards, consumer protection laws, and on and on, paid for by taxes. If you drive a car down the street, the same is true of your car, and the street, and the signs, and all the laws to enable you to do so safely (and without being assaulted and your car stolen). Statistically, you’re probably alive because of public health laws, food safety laws, and medical research funded by taxes. And that’s without even getting into public education – even if you are one of the rare few who hasn’t received any, the fact that widespread education exists, a situation of immense benefit for society at large, is a consequence of government and taxes.

Government is not a perfect, or even sometimes even a good, means of achieving collective goals. But nor are corporations. Nor are voluntary organisations. People who want to get rid of government because it doesn’t work all the time are abdicating the much harder task of getting it to work more often.

Some good ones here.

Originally shared by Singularity Hub

8 Principles for Leaders to Make the Most of the Exponential Age http://suhub.co/2mUeaCT

tl;dr: Innovation thrives in a climate where you can try something, fail, and not be homeless and starving as a result. Also, in a climate where everyone has a bit of money to spend on creating or buying a new product.

Originally shared by Larry Panozzo

I think these are valid points. Do you?

via Terrence Lee Reed

The ignorance of crowds is a problem for any approach which tries to use the wisdom of crowds. But there appears to be a way around it – maybe.

Originally shared by Jennifer Ouellette

” instead of trying to figure out what’s right based on the most popular answer, a study led by Prelec and published in Nature on Jan. 25 suggests that a better formula for finding a correct answer in a crowd is to give weight to “surprisingly popular” responses to questions. The idea is that this alternative algorithm would account for the probability that there are some outliers in the crowd who know more than most. This way, mathematical methods start to approach how people seriously solve problems: by seeking out the rare few who are knowledgeable on a topic.” https://qz.com/895735/mit-economists-designed-an-algorithm-to-combat-groupthink/

“Is a functioning democracy too much to ask?”

Originally shared by Deborah Teramis Christian

Great think-piece here from George Monbiot, about concrete ways to fix some fundamental problems in our democracy

(and the UK as well).

“I’ve read dozens of proposals, some transparently awful, others pretty good. The overall result so far is this: there is no magic formula, no single plan that could solve our democratic problems without creating worse ones. But there are plenty of ideas, of which I will mention just a few, that could enhance our politics.”

His ensuing discussion is incisive and concise. I actually think the things he proposes could work, if it were ever actually possible to implement them. Good read.

http://www.monbiot.com/2017/01/26/all-about-that-base/

(Political Discussion Disclaimer: I’m posting this public and leaving comments enabled, for now, in hopes that some constructive conversation may take place around this essay in the comments. Thoughtful and respectful conversation is welcome. Trolls, personal attacks, partisan buffoonery from either end of the spectrum will get the offenders booted out the air lock. Do that shite all you like in your own stream, but keep it out of mine. This is my house.)

If India can do it, others will follow.

Originally shared by Will Shetterly

“The most striking thing which we hadn’t actually anticipated is that the emancipatory effect was greater than the monetary effect. It enabled people to have a sense of control. They pooled some of the money to pay down their debts, they increased decisions on escaping from debt bondage. The women developed their own capacity to make their own decision about their own lives.”

https://futurism.com/worlds-largest-democratic-country-to-endorse-universal-basic-income/

Putting this one under Collective Endeavour, because that’s part of what we’ll need to be good at in the future.

I’d note that the job I do as a business analyst kind of existed (as a very specialised thing that a few people did) when I was at school, but I wasn’t aware of its existence until several years after I’d graduated from university, with a degree that theoretically doesn’t qualify me to do what I do. Fortunately, people hire me largely for the skills that are mentioned in this article.

(Laura Gibbs will enjoy this one, I think.)

Originally shared by Singularity Hub

“65 percent of children entering grade school this year (2011) will end up working in careers that haven’t even been invented yet.”

I’m starting a new collection: Collective Endeavour, which is an enduring interest of mine – the things we can achieve together but not separately.

Here’s a good post to start it off.

Originally shared by David Brin

In the Atlantic, Eric Liu offers a suggestion for how folks depressed by the prospects of stunning levels of mal-governance can deal with the funk and malaise… start a club. One with some positive goal. Almost anything. Civic participation even at the lowest level can give people a sense of citizenship, involvement, even empowerment.

Moreover, unlike the tribal fury one finds in alt-right groups… and yes, a few leftist ones… something local and targeted can let you draw in people from all partisan leanings. Not fanatics or cultists, of course. But neighbors who might grow closer to you – and to reason – by participating in something cool and local, that makes sense. A school program like FIRST Robotics. A hunger program or Habitat construction.

One of my own activities for years was CERT – my local Community Emergency Response Team… all that is left of Civil Defense in the U.S.

Mr. Liu goes into more detail and offers many options, referring to such groups that were co-founded by Ben Franklin, long ago. A blending of optimism, activism and pragmatism that can not only lift your spirits and your neighbors, but give you both skills and the moral high ground, for battles ahead.