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Invent, invent, invent [?]

By Lawrence B. Ebert, Esq.

In turning "Meet the Press" into a talk show for people pushing books, Tom Brokaw went over Friedman's "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" on Sept. 7.

The best oxymoronic line was Shape the market so it will be innovative, coupled with Be China for a day, presumably speaking of Chairman Mao's China.

Republicans were castigated. In talking about "drill, drill, drill", they were not saying invent, invent, invent. Drill, drill, drill was equated with saying IBM Selectric, IBM Selectric, IBM Selectric... [In passing, Friedman needs to learn the distinction between invention and innovation...]

Elsewhere on Sunday morning was a line "unwilling to look at radical change at a time when they needed to embrace it." IPBiz could not help but think of IBM's response to Chester Carlson (turning him down cold, even after he had shown them the technology worked). AFTER Carlson's technology reached the marketplace (Xerox), THEN IBM futilely tried to design around it.
It took IBM longer to embrace xerography than the US has been in Iraq.

Friedman also asserted that industry needs a long term price signal, such as a carbon tax that companies can rely on. There was mention of incredible opportunities disguised as insoluble problems (ever hear text like that before?). There was mention of NIMBY and BANANA [build absolutely nothing...]

Brokaw was smoother with Friedman than in his MBNA attack on Biden, but competent in neither. Russert worked hard in preparation for each show, and Brokaw illustrates how tedious the show becomes without preparation or intelligence.
Curiously, in the Sunday Night News, Lester Holt featured Biden's comment that Palin would have to come out and talk, rather than any of Brokaw's "aggressions" toward Biden. [Palin was not on a Sunday talk show on Sept 7. Biden might as well have not been with Brokaw.]

Full post as published by IPBiz on September 07, 2008 (boomark / email).