grace

… filling in the negative space with positively everything

Origins of Virtue and Outliers

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If we are to recover social harmony and virtue, if we are to build back into society the virtues that made it work for us, it is vital that we reduce the power and scope of the state. … It means devolution: devolution of power over people’s lives to parishes, computer networks, clubs, teams, self-help groups, small businesses - everything small and local. It means a massive disassembling of the public bureaucracy. Let national and international governments wither into their minimal function of national defence and redistribution of wealth (directly - without an intervening and greedy bureaucracy). Let Kropotkin’s vision of a world of free individuals return. Let everybody rise and fall by their reputation. I am not so naive as to think this can happen overnight, or that some form of government is not necessary. But I do question the necessity of a government that dictates the minutest details of life and squats like a giant flea upon the back of the nation.

… Just as trade between countries is the best recipe for friendship between them, so exchange between enfranchised and empowered individuals is the best recipe for cooperation. We must encourage social and material exchange between equals for that is the raw material of trust, and trust is the foundation of virtue.

- Matt Ridley, The Origins of Virtue

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Facebook’s Free Tools to Promote Your Cause

Facebook isn’t just for kids: as a marketing tool, Facebook offers an endless variety of ways for you to promote your cause, organization, or business for free. Once you’ve signed up for an account, try any of the following tips to maximize Facebook’s branding and promotional potential:

  1. Profile: When you sign up for a Facebook profile, customize your page to reflect your business or organization, uploading logos, pictures, links and other information that reinforces your brand.
  2. Find Friends: Use this to find your friends on Facebook and import your contacts from AIM, Gmail, Outlook, and more. Then look for mutual friends whose addresses you may not have had.
  3. Groups: Use the site’s Groups feature to network with your target audience. You can join existing groups or create one just for your business to amp up the buzz about its services.
  4. Causes: Create a Cause to start recruiting members and volunteers, to promote events, and to raise funds for your group or mission.
  5. Marketplace: Not only can you possibly find needed items for cheap here, but you can also sell items to fundraise or offload excess inventory, and search for new employees.
  6. Networks: List your organization’s city, industry, neighborhood and any other relevant information to let potential customers and audiences know where they can find you.
  7. Badge: Create your own Badge to direct Facebook friends to your organization’s Web site.
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