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Obama names tech execs to transition team

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Re: Obama names tech execs to transition team

#11

Post by Darmani »

shimon wrote: post #7

I'm very, very optimistic about signs like this. Effective use of Internet-based communication, organization, and collaboration tools appears to be something that, generally speaking, comes naturally to younger generations and doesn't come at all to older generations. Appointing a few key people who get it to powerful positions in government could go a very long way toward delivering, in government, some of the same…

I'm a little fearful of efficiency in government. I believe that, in most areas, government can never be as efficient as a free market. Making the government closer to a free-market efficiency just makes it harder to get to a fully-free market and makes it a lot easier for the government to grow in other areas.

Rothbard went into a little more detail on this in a lengthy criticism of Friedman: http://www.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/rothbard43.html

Re: Obama names tech execs to transition team

#12

Post by yellowbkpk »

endlessvoid94 wrote: post #10

According to the source of the Change.gov page, it was generated using Microsoft Word. Granted, it's just a placeholder for the site, but still. I sure hope that isn't a sign of things to come.

I think they're using it as a metaphor:

Current administration = Word-generated page

New administration = Web 2.0

Re: Obama names tech execs to transition team

#13

Post by yellowbkpk »

vaksel wrote: post #8
honeybee wrote: post #5

change.gov is up, if not exactly pretty :-) (and i'm curious to see what the Obama administration will do with whitehouse.gov.)

i doubt he had any say in that. They probably decided on a "site to help open up the government" and then some IT guys were told to make it happen.

According to the meta-data in the source of change.gov, this is the guy that wrote it:

http://www.smartcard.gov/thurston_bio.cfm

Re: Obama names tech execs to transition team

#16

Post by curiousgeorge »

Darmani wrote: post #11
shimon wrote: post #7

I'm very, very optimistic about signs like this. Effective use of Internet-based communication, organization, and collaboration tools appears to be something that, generally speaking, comes naturally to younger generations and doesn't come at all to older generations. Appointing a few key people who get it to powerful positions in government could go a very long way toward delivering, in government, some of the same…

I'm a little fearful of efficiency in government. I believe that, in most areas, government can never be as efficient as a free market. Making the government closer to a free-market efficiency just makes it harder to get to a fully-free market and makes it a lot easier for the government to grow in other areas. Rothbard went into a little more detail on this in a lengthy criticism of Friedman: http://www.lewrockwell.…

How do you get efficient outcomes in monopolistic markets without government involvement? Where substantively do you feel more efficient government is problematic?

Re: Obama names tech execs to transition team

#18

Post by MikeCapone »

curiousgeorge wrote: post #16
Darmani wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a little fearful of efficiency in government. I believe that, in most areas, government can never be as efficient as a free market. Making the government closer to a free-market efficiency just makes it harder to get to a fully-free market and makes it a lot easier for the government to grow in other areas. Rothbard went into a little more detail on this in a lengthy criticism of Friedman: http://www.lewrockwell.…

How do you get efficient outcomes in monopolistic markets without government involvement? Where substantively do you feel more efficient government is problematic?

Most monopolies are caused by government, though. Mostly through barriers to entry for competition..

Re: Obama names tech execs to transition team

#20

Post by chubbard »

Darmani wrote: post #11
shimon wrote: post #7

I'm very, very optimistic about signs like this. Effective use of Internet-based communication, organization, and collaboration tools appears to be something that, generally speaking, comes naturally to younger generations and doesn't come at all to older generations. Appointing a few key people who get it to powerful positions in government could go a very long way toward delivering, in government, some of the same…

I'm a little fearful of efficiency in government. I believe that, in most areas, government can never be as efficient as a free market. Making the government closer to a free-market efficiency just makes it harder to get to a fully-free market and makes it a lot easier for the government to grow in other areas. Rothbard went into a little more detail on this in a lengthy criticism of Friedman: http://www.lewrockwell.…

But, government isn't going anywhere. Wouldn't you rather have an efficient government over a non-efficient government given that Free Markets don't eliminate the need for government? As the latest crisis has taught us Free Markets can't solve everything, and sometimes the only answer is government intervention. Like it or not the free markets couldn't correct their mistakes. They tried before requesting government intervention. The only answer is to find the balance between free markets and government. Right now we're out of whack.
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