The Tyranny of Dead Ideas: Letting Go of the Old Ways of Thinking to Unleash a New Prosperity

A leading political and business thinker identifies the greatest threat to our economic future: the things we think we know€”but don€™t America is at a crossroads. In the face of global competition and rapid technological change, our economy is about to face its most severe test in nearly a century€”one that will make the recent turmoil in the financial system look like a modest setback by comparison. Yet our leaders have failed to prepare us for what lies ahead because they are in the grip of a set of "dead ideas" about how a modern economy should work. They wrongly believe thatOur kids will earn more than we do Free trade is always good, no matter who gets hurt Employers should be responsible for health coverage Taxes hurt the economy Schools are a local matter Money follows meritThese ways of thinking€”dubious at best and often dead wrong€”are on a collision course with economic development