The 234th Anniversary of 'Common Sense'
Today is the 234th anniversary of the publishing of Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense.” Hat-tip to Alec J. Ross, Senior Advisor for Innovation at The State Department, who notes also that flags all across Washington, D.C., are flying at half-mass today. You can read “Common Sense” here.
“Diplomats have to be expeditionary to be effective. They can't wall themselves off from the world. Does not lessen tragedy of Anne's death.”
—Alec J. Ross on the death of American diplomat Anne Smedinghoff.
[My tears for Anne.]
update: Website to honor and remember Anne - http://annesmedinghoff.com/
Alec Ross on why need give more students seats at the "grown-ups table"
goo.glWherever I travel in the world I almost always lecture at a local university. The questions I get and the ideas I hear on university campuses are as good as what I hear anywhere, including in settings at the apex of political and private sector power. I cannot help but be impressed by the perspective brought by university students to global challenges. They see the world with fresh eyes. They are not ground down by bureaucracy. I can’t help but think that their fresh eyes and their energy are often wasted in low-level jobs. These low-level jobs then begin the process of eroding their idealism and introducing them to stifling, bureaucratic environments, which diminish their sense of what is possible. This was re-enforced for me twice this week. First, when I participated in a session at the Clinton Global Initiative’s University program, and again yesterday when I lectured at a university here in Chile. As an optimist and idealist (even one almost 20 years out of university) I think that those of us in positions of power and authority need to do more to give university students seats at the “grown-ups table”; not just because it is good for the students, but because it is good for us.
And its very interesting comments nice to follow.
