—The economic tsunami of the last few years is the Tofflers’ Third Wave (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Wave_%28Toffler%29).

—Facebook bombed as an IPO. This has reduced the stock market value of other social media sites/tools (Linked-In, etc.).

—I think, however, that the real value of these types of programs will come in their application to marketing and in creating new platforms to deliver healthcare, legal and other professional services (e.g., building Paul Ryan’s “association health care plans” or creating “law networks” as opposed to “law firms”). Think of this as how personal computers were marketed in the late 1970s and early 1980s: a tool to help the kids with their math, store recipes and maintain the household budget, as opposed to what people really used them for.

—Put another way, the movie may have been called The Social Network (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/), but the profit is going to come from the value-added provided by operational networks.

—Further, and this is very far-afield, much of the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community’s trouble in countering AQ is the early days after 9-11 came from assuming it was a typical, Second Wave, command and control-based organization rather than a network.

—The Democrats have been in free-fall as a national political party since the 1960s, as a result of the loss of the “solid South.” They were able to win the Presidency 4 times since 1968 by making gains in the formerly-Republican “Old Northwest”/Rust-belt. The elections of 2010 demonstrate that hold is fading. If that holds in 2012, the Democrats are no longer a national party.

—The interesting political question is becoming: What replaces the Democrats?

—Could it be a new, Adenauer-esque Center Party, built from centrist independents, moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats? Could the Tea Party/Liberty Movement either become a new party or take over the Republican trade marks and trade dress to represent the conservative plurality? Interesting to see how this turns out.

—The one assumption I think is absolutely warranted is that Walter Russell Mead is right and the Blue Social Model is dying. (http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/05/26/cuomo-takes-on-unions/; http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/04/30/prestigious-law-firm-goes-bust-lawyers-boxed-out-by-changing-industry/, http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/04/18/health-care-of-the-future/, http://aei.org/events/2012/03/13/the-death-of-the-blue-social-model/) This will lead to wrenching change in “Blue” institutions like law, healthcare and higher education.

—I think real, market-based healthcare reform is inevitable. The ONLY way to fix this system is going to be the kind of federal and state deregulation that telecom and transportation went through in the 1980s and 1990s.

—I think the next few years will see a shift to even more of a K-1/1099 (vice a W-2) work force than has already been seen. This will improve the opportunities of the Tea Party/Liberty Movement, which is a K-1/1099 movement. No one is more tax-sensitive than the self-employed.

—This economic shift is more inimical to the continued survival of the Democrats as a national political party than any of the supposed demographic shifts that were supposed to favor them.

—Unions are dinosaur institutions.

—You can’t bargain collectively for wages, as everyone you retain has a different contribution to the bottom line. Even individuals contribute to the bottom line in varying ways over time. Further, W-2 “Employment” itself makes little sense anymore. This is the age of the networked or “Shamrock” organization (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock_Organization).

—However, other network organizations that help people bargain collectively for healthcare coverage or pension planning or tuition assistance/educational benefits make a great deal of sense (and may even be required) in the coming years. This is the future of unions, on something of the model of the Screen Writers’ Guild healthcare and pension plans.

—The next few years provide danger and opportunity.

IOW, too over my head to mess with without a tutor at my side. But, thanks anyway.

As is it, Obama is heading toward Doomville.

Mew

Mew

Mew

All I did was to paste the URL both as the link destination and as the description.

&lt a href=” {URL goes here} ” &gt {description goes here, just re-paste URL &lt /a &gt

(let’s see if I got that right .. )

Mew

Unions are weakening, their survival was based on moving from manufacturing* to bureaucracy, via AFCSME or SEIU .. but they appear to have overplayed their cards. What I don’t know is which group is poised to take leadership.. but I’m optimistic that the struggle will be bloody and damaging.

On the GOP side, I disagree with Deaces’ conclusion – Romney isn’t an etch-a-sketch, he wants the mushy middle to think he’s one, though.

Look at every distraction Team Obama have thrown so far – Romney has sent all of them back, usually scoring points on Obama along the way. Bain? Solyndra! Wife didn’t work? The creepy Julie story! Dog on the roof? Dog on the grill! That’s not the work of an etch-a-sketch .. that’s the work of a skilled athlete.

I do think Deuce is onto one thing about the GOP – specifically the gutless D.C. wing of the GOP – we have way too many squishy idiots there… and we have some work to do to change that.

Mew

* no, manufacturing is not dying, it is becoming less labor-intensive.

Your link as a clickable.

Now, let me go read it…

Mew

http://townhall.com/columnists/stevedeace/2012/06/02/what_happens_to_democrats_if_obama_loses/page/2

Romney campaign, take notice: THIS is your path to decisive victory. The American people crave a clear and distinct alternative to Obama…a CONSERVATIVE alternative.

Keep it up

that wont work this election cycle. obama is going to lose!!!!