Friday, December 19, 2008

Are simple heuristics slogans?

  • Don't let the bullies win: in government, in business, in international relations, wherever.
  • Trust people to make their own decisions as much as possible.
  • Don't ignore long-term costs: they can be harder to get right, but greener options might be huge cost-savers in 50 years time.
  • Don't ignore long-term benefits: goodwill can lead to unexpected solutions.
  • Devolve power: turn postcode lotteries into postcode choices.
  • Help stakeholders and experts formulate policy.
  • Tax what's bad, not what's good.
  • Don't make the poor pay proportionately more for the State than the rich.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Political frames

This discussion at Liberal Democrat Voice is largely why I set up this blog.

In essence, to look for alternatives to the sterile shouting-matches between left and right, fairness and wealth-creation, authoritarianism and laissez-faire, proletariat and oligarchy etc.

Unfortunately the best I've come up with so far is:
  • fairness without government bullying
  • more libertarian than the other guys, but not so libertarian that we're loony