Entrepreneurs: The Real “Peace Prize” Winners
We live in ludicrous times of rewarding good appearance for evil action. President Obama is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while his war efforts intensify. But those who are true promoters of peace need attention, for they will never likely receive such ostentatious recognition for their noble efforts. Such individuals are those who take risks in a world of uncertainty, and who save or borrow capital to start a business. Such entrepreneurs promote peace by serving the customer better than the next entrepreneur through voluntary transactions in the market, rather than commanding bureaucracy in government.
As part of my entrepreneurship courses, I have students who want to start their own business listen to new entrepreneurs discuss their background, their reasons for starting the business, and of their effort to establish the business. Students usually find these speakers fascinating and inspiring, but also come away with a sense of the enormous amount of effort, capital, risk, and uncertainty that is involved in starting a business. Many of these students decide they no longer want to start their own business. They realize that entrepreneurs, too, have a boss: the customer. Mises put it this way: “Ownership of the means of production is not a privilege, but a social liability.”
Paddy McGuinness’ Private Library up for sale
The private library of one of Australia’s most controversial and contrarian intellectuals, PP McGuinness, will be up for sale in Sydney on Saturday 21 November 2009.
The thousands of books in McGuinness’ collection describe the broad thinking and eclectic interests of a contrarian and often incendiary thinker. From Palgrave to poetry, politics to film, PP McGuinness’ private collection spanned all genres of literature and thought, and influenced McGuinness’s contribution to Australian intellectual history.
Paddy McGuinness’s daughter, Parnell, says “There are almost ten thousand books here — more than I can possibly keep. It’s time to distribute the books to people who want them and will appreciate them. There are some rare, out-of-print editions, as well as some which are almost too common. I think there are five copies of Madame Bovary in there.”
The Paddy McGuinness Last Drinks Book Fair will be held in McGuinness’ garden in Darling Street Balmain on Saturday 21 November. Books, BBQ and drinks will be available 10am-4pm.
Paddy McGuinness was one of this country’s most renowned and controversial commentators. His intellectual life traversed both sides of Australian political terrain, and his mischievous pleasure in playing devil’s advocate caused him to be alternately revered and reviled by ideologues in an intellectual arena dominated by partisan politics.
From his early years as a rabble raiser among the libertarian, anti-establishment movement known as the Sydney Push during the 1950s and 1960s, Paddy went on to work as an economist for the Moscow Narodny Bank and lectured at the University of London. After a period as film critic for The National Review, then adviser to the federal government during the mid-1970s, he became editor of the Australian Financial Review, and then columnist for The Australian and the Sydney Morning Herald. In 1997 Paddy was appointed editor of Quadrant and continued in that role until his death last year.
About Shaken and Stirred:
Shaken and Stirred was started by Parnell McGuinness and Leonie Phillips in May 2008. Modelled on the Parisian salons of the enlightenment, Shaken and Stirred events gypsy through Sydney presenting unusual speakers on provocative ideas. With no agenda other than to encourage lively and interesting discussion, the events bring people from across the political spectrum together for raucous debate in a relaxed environment.
Past speakers have included sociologist Frank Furedi, journalist Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, bioethicist Julian Savulescu, historian John Hirst, former politician Michael Costa, sex-worker activist Elena Jeffreys, founder of Arts and Letters Daily Denis Dutton and blogger Antony Loewenstein.
All profits from the book fair will go to the publication of Binge Thinking, a collection of the thoughts of Shaken and Stirred Supper Club participants from across the political and intellectual spectrum.
To find out more please contact:
Leonie Phillips, Shaken and Stirred
Phone: 0403 063 852
Email: thoughtbroker@gmail.com
Web: http://thoughtbroker.wordpress.com
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