October 30, 2011

The Wall Street hippies

Remember Kojak?
Lieutenant Theo Kojak?
Well, it’s that irrepressible, charismatic and entirely fictional character that comes to mind whenever I read about that protest-oh-so-desperately-wanting-to-be-a-movement, more commonly known as Occupy Wall Street.
More specifically, what comes to mind is his plain-talk take on capitalism. “Sure,” Kojak once said, “The system stinks, but hey, show me someone who’s got a better one.”

OK, so maybe I’m coming off as unsupportive. Negative, even.
And I’m not, really I’m not.
Because, hey, I’m just as dead set against corruption, and avarice, and irresponsible consumption as the next guy.
And if Occupy Wall Street is giving a voice to the little guy (and gal), and if Occupy Wall Street is providing a vehicle—an awakening—of what’s wrong with capitalism, well hey, like Kojak also said, “Who loves ya baby?”

But still.
Looking at the long game, I don’t hold out much hope for Occupy Wall Street.
Look, let me get to the point.
My belief is that Occupy Wall Street will, quite simply, peter out, sputtering under the weight of its own well-intentioned (I suppose) but misguided (I’m pretty sure) idealism.

Why?
Why do I say that?
Because of the hippies, that’s why.
Let me be stronger.
Blame the hippies.
It’s all their fault anyway.
You remember hippies, right?
Late 60s? San Francisco? Haight-Ashbury? Free love? Tune in, turn on, drop out?
Now that was a movement.
A grass-roots movement created not so much by focused strategy as by osmosis.
Hippies sprouted up, occupied and multiplied in ever-increasing numbers throughout North America and the world.
Hippies were anti-establishment.
Hippies were down on the man, man.
Hippies were about equality and classlessness.
And against consumerism, materialism and most of capitalism.

And now. And now.
Well, they blew it.
The Hippies blew it
Think about it, what happened to all those hippies?
More importantly.
How many of those hippies eventually turned their back on anti-establishment idealism? How many of them shed their tie-dyed threads for a three-piece, button-down look?
How many of the late-sixties hippies became the bankers and brokers, and VPs and CEOs of the twenty-first century?
And now, how many hippies are the targeted capitalists that Occupy Wall Street is protesting against?

Just like that old expression says… Plus ça change…

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October 24, 2011

Greed and Capitalism

What do you think of it?
Occupy Wall Street, I mean?
Are you for?
Are you against?
Do you think it’s a recent development? A contemporary conversation?

Here’s a short 30 year-old interview with Milton Friedman.
Take a look. Tell me what you think.
In a later post I’ll give you my two cents.

 

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October 14, 2011

Wish I had said that…

I wrote a book.
You know that.
Most of you anyway.

People often ask, “What’s your book about?”
And I stumble and stutter and mumble and sputter.
It’s no easy task, making it sound interesting.
It’s no easy task, being to-the-point and concise.
It’s no easy task, capturing in a few short words the essence of an idea.

Just the other day, someone said, “Michael, did you see this quote by the Dalai Lama? It reminds me of your book.”
I read it.
And smiled.
“Yeah,” I thought, “That is what my book’s about!”

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October 6, 2011

The death of cool

In 1986, I got my first PC. A lumbering behemoth with no brand name—a clone. That dinosaur was subsequently replaced by countless other machines—Dells, Compaqs, HPs, Thinkpads and a bunch more I can’t even remember.

When their usefulness ground to a halt, when their speed and efficiency became inversely proportional to my frustration and aggravation, I ditched them.

I bought my first iMac in 1999. Ruby Red.
Since that purchase, my household saw the influx of other Apple products. iPods of the Video, Classic, Touch and Nano variety. iPhones, iPad, MacBooks and newer, speedier, more-cool iMacs.
A quick inventory confirms that Apple is the number one brand in my home. We own more Apple kit than any other product or brand. No other thing comes close.

As for that Ruby Red iMac, a few years ago it was time to put that faithful servant out to pasture too. Only thing is, unlike those featureless, faceless PCs, I just couldn’t part with the iMac. When she asked why, I told madame, “Are you kidding? You don’t throw Macs away. They’re cool!” So, it’s in my downstairs closet, wrapped and protected against dust and humidity.

It really is that simple. You don’t get rid of Apple products. They’re too cool, they’re too gorgeous, they’re too je ne sais pas. And the reason for that, of course, is down to one man: Steve Jobs. Mr. Cool.

In 1957 Miles Davis released a compilation album called Birth of the Cool. A masterpiece, a seminal recording.
And now, I can’t help but think that October 5, 2011 is the day that cool died.

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