[讀書會]

Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010

City Centered

By Bruce Katz

With our recovery sluggish and our politics in rancorous free fall, the U.S. is on a desperate search to create jobs in the near term and retool the economy for the long haul. As Dorothy found in The Wizard of Oz, the answers surprisingly lie no farther away than home, or more precisely, the top 100 cities and their environs — the major metros — where most Americans live, work and play.

(原文連結)

City Centered Outline

n The U.S. is on a desperate search to create jobs in the near term and retool the economy for the long haul.

→ The solution lies in the top 100 cities and their environs — the major metros — where most Americans live, work and play.

n Metro Powered — features of Metro in United State

→ House almost two-thirds of our population

→ Generate 74% of our gross domestic product (GDP)

→ Disproportionately concentrate the assets that drive economic success:
(1) patents, (2) advanced research and (3) venture capital, (4) college graduates and Ph.D.s, and (5) air, rail and sea hubs.

n This dynamic holds not only for the U.S. but also around the globe.

→ The rise of Brazil, India and China is a direct product of their rapid urbanization and the growth of supersize metro economies like São Paulo, Mumbai and Shanghai.

n We mythologize the benefits of small-town America, but it's the major metros that make the country thrive.

→ Placing too much tax revenues on suburb. Prosperous small towns are most often suburbs of major cities.

→ Pursuing urban policies devoted to subsidized housing and tax incentives to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods rather than creating policies that, for example, support powerful and promising industry clusters.

→ "Cities are places where two plus two equals five."
Ideas collide and flourish. New inventions and processes emerge in research labs and on factory floors. New products and companies follow.

n Worldwide competitors understand that prosperity in this century will come via the distinct assets and attributes of their metro engines.

→ Germany, China and Brazil are investing in wholesale change through advanced research, renewable energy, modern ports, high-speed rail and urban transit in Munich, Shanghai and São Paulo — the metros that drive their economies.

n What American should do?

→ Revenue
Reducing the federal deficit, and the other half, to efforts grow export.

→ Infrastructure
Start investing to help American businesses innovate and have access to a world-class infrastructure.

→ Meet the Challenges
Cities and suburbs need to team up with businesses to devise export initiatives that build on their metro's distinctive position in the market.

Question:

1. What do you think about the global competition in the Metros?

2. Does it against the American Dream, if the government redirects their resource away from suburb resident?

[讀書會] Currency War

The global economy

How to stop a currency war

Keep calm, don’t expect quick fixes and above all don’t unleash a trade fight with China

Oct 14th 2010

IN RECENT weeks the world economy has been on a war footing, at least rhetorically. Ever since Brazil’s finance minister, Guido Mantega, declared on September 27th that an “international currency war” had broken out, the global economic debate has been recast in battlefield terms, not just by excitable headline-writers, but by officials themselves. Gone is the fuzzy rhetoric about co-operation to boost global growth. A more combative tone has taken hold (see article). Countries blame each other for distorting global demand, with weapons that range from quantitative easing (printing money to buy bonds) to currency intervention and capital controls.

(原文連結)

Currency War

Brazil’s finance minister declared the “International currency war” had broken out.

n Counties blame each other for distorting global demand, with weapons including quantitative easing (printing money to buy bonds), currency intervention, and capital control.

n Three battles

ü China’s unwillingness to allow Yuan to rise more quickly

ü Rich world’s monetary policy : quantitative easing

ü Developing countries’ response to the capital flows

n Still modest now, but it may turn into real trade war

ü Sluggish economy growth in the rich world is likely to last for years.

ü As fiscal austerity kicks in, the appeal of using a cheaper currency as a source of demand will increase.

n Developing countries’ counter measure to capital flood

n If the flood of foreign capital intensifies, developing countries may be forced to choose between:

ü Losing competitiveness → hurt export

ü Draconian capital controls → decrease FDI & economy recovery

ü Allowing their economies to overheat → inflation

n The rich world’s mix of fiscal austerity and loose monetary policy—will have an uncomfortable impact on small, open emerging economies, in the form of unwelcome capital inflows. → Taiwan

Question:

Do you agree or disagree that the government should intervene in the market in order to maintain their export competitive?

不愛狗沒有錯，但進步的社會你我都有責任!

日前中時民意論壇一篇文章《不愛狗，有錯嘛？》針對陶子對流浪狗處理態度，表達了「怕狗人士」的心聲。文中指出怕狗人士應享有不被侵犯的自由，以及「愛狗人士」需反省為何愛狗卻又丟狗。

陶子的流浪狗風波在姐妹淘網站以及網路上都引發各方討論，也因此替「愛狗人士」扣了幾頂大帽子。有人說，對環保局不人道處理方式有意見的愛狗人士們應針對環保局發難，不該讓打電話給環保局的人承受「不愛狗」、「殘忍」等罪名。也有人認為，餵養流浪狗的人只是為了自己方便，不顧鄰里環境髒亂及野狗咬人等危害，愛狗人士應該出錢成立動物之家或通通帶回家自己養。

誠然，家長應該擔心凶狠流浪狗帶來安全隱憂，住戶可以不滿社區滿地狗大便。不愛狗沒有錯，保護自己也沒錯，但若明知現行環保局捕捉與處置流浪狗的方式極度殘忍與不人道，卻用種種理由合理化自己以此方式解決自己的困擾，並將改正制度的責任推給「愛狗人士」，未免過份鄉愿。我認為，當我們知道現行制度如此殘忍就不該理直氣壯的使用，而改正這個制度是每一個對流浪狗問題有怨言的人都應該挺身而出，非特定人士的責任。

蜘蛛人裡的經典台詞「責任越大能力越大」，但往往挺身而出的人只是因為心軟而非有天大能耐。水、風災後，私人狗場的處境揭露後，各界撻伐紛至。批評者常認為沒能力就不該救狗，但這些愛心媽媽常為了狗兒傾家蕩產，又是何苦？他們的作法或有可議之處，出發點只因他們比你我都心軟。人們都習慣作一個冷漠的旁觀者，然後默默的把責任推給少數熱心的人。應該被撻伐的是製造出流浪狗的社會，是沒有妥善安置牠們的制度，而不是愛心媽媽或愛狗人士去餵養牠們。

其次，當「愛狗」與「不愛狗」變成像愛台灣與否的意識形態之爭，容易忽視雙方交集部分，即尊重生命與文明社會等共同追求的價值。愛狗人士這個辭彙，並不包括那些將狗視為流行配件過季就丟的人，也不包括缺乏公德心縱容自己的狗隨地便溺的人。相互責怪只會將力氣放錯地方。若大家都同意一個美好的社會是我們共同的追求，那麼再次重申，這責任不是只有愛狗的人才應擔負。

從源頭管制

流浪狗的產生不外乎遭人棄養的家犬、走失的家犬，與流浪狗繁衍出的下一代。反對請環保局抓狗則因捕捉方式殘忍、七天後安樂死不人道。兩者實互為因果。社會不懂得尊重生命，視狗為商品任意買賣與丟棄，捕狗大隊抓不勝抓，視狗為髒亂與威脅，於是大量捕捉手段兇殘。但收容所空間、資源有限，只好安樂死。然而，這是必然的結果嗎？

台灣雖有販售許可證管制販售，但許可證並不保證來源合法。私人繁殖場遭破獲的消息時有所聞，環境差、健康不佳，終其一生不斷繁殖，沒有價值後便無情的丟棄。應全面建立系統化的販售制度，依法認證狗兒來源，購買者需登記並植入晶片，隨意丟棄重罰。除可杜絕非法來源，提高隨意遺棄寵物的代價，也可降低因沒有晶片而由家犬淪為流浪狗的情況。此外，台灣每年編列許多預算撲殺流浪狗，不僅不人道且抑制流浪狗成效十分有限。目前已有許多動保團體在推動結紮代替撲殺，將撲殺的預算用在結紮避免生出更多流浪狗。

透過寵物登記制度、重罰棄養與流浪狗結紮等措施，降低惡意遺棄、走失與自然繁衍等三種流浪狗來源，公立收容所負擔減輕，更多資源投入人員專業訓練及健全認養制度，取代殘忍的捕捉與撲殺。如此一來，街頭若有流浪狗才能合理的運用制度化方式解決。

延伸閱讀：

搶救流浪動物 立委籲修法

九十萬的困獸與六十萬的死刑－全台流浪貓犬捕捉與收容

生命教育：公視我們的島－不只貓狗，校園動物同伴 (YouTube)

[讀書會]How Should America Handle Extreme Speech?

How Should America Handle Extreme Speech?

By NANCY GIBBS Sunday, Oct. 03, 2010

Illustration of the Statue of Liberty holding a burning book.

In the end, Pastor Terry Jones did not burn a Koran, and another eternally sad and suddenly bitter 9/11 anniversary came and went. But he'll be back — if not Jones, then the swarms of zealots and charlatans who were inspired by how a preacher with a congregation of about 50 could command the attention of the White House, the Pentagon, the Vatican, Sarah Palin, Angelina Jolie and just about every network, newspaper and blog in the land. It was called a media circus, but it was the kind in which the clowns attacked the children and everyone walking the tightrope looked down and couldn't see any net.

(原文連結)

Freedom of speech & Extreme Speech

n Background

ü The Jones did not burn a Koran on 9/11 anniversary, but he'll be back.

ü Those inspired by how a preacher could command the attention of the White House, the Pentagon, the Vatican, Sarah Palin, Angelina Jolie and just about every network, newspaper and blog in the land.

n Contrivers event in freedom of speech

－ The right of Nazis to march

－ Journalists to publish government secrets EX. Wiki Leak

－ Racists to burn crosses

n Free-speech protections in the U.S. are stronger than in any other place on earth at perhaps any time in history

－ First Amendment to the United States Constitution

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

美國憲法第一修正案對美國影響巨大。美國媒體所享有的一切自由都源於此，在美國，凡是涉及言論、新聞、出版等訴訟，往往都會搬出此，它幾乎成為美國媒體或個人言論自由的護身符，不可動搖。以至於美國人把它頌揚為「美國生活方式」的主要內容。-- 維基百科wiki

n The Effect of Technology

ü As technology evolves, individual rights have global repercussions. Speech toward domestic audience will cause international intention. EX: Is Jones trying to incite violence or express his “expectation”Where’s the line?

ü Facebook & Tweet
Today, a crusader on a mission doesn't need a lot of P.R. budget, if you know how the media ecosystem works.

n Solution: freedom of speech vs. freedom of the press

ü The right to speak does not include a right to be heard: editors often choose not to cover idiotic or offensive behavior.