Follow this link to read George Lakoff’s explanation of the Obama code.

Lakoff explains about President Obama that

Speaking naturally, he lets his deepest ideas simply structure what he is saying. If you follow him, the deep ideas are communicated unconsciously and automatically.

Lakoff posits 7crucial intellectual ideas:

Behind the Obama Code are seven crucial intellectual moves that I believe are historically, practically, and cognitively appropriate, as well as politically astute. They are not all obvious, and jointly they may seem mysterious. That is why it is worth sorting them out one-by-one.

Lakoff’s idea number six, “Systemic Causation and Systemic Risk” is very insightful. It explains why the existence of this causation and risk spells doom for much of the underpinnings of the extreme conservative philosophy.  Whether they do it consciously or subconsciously, the conservatives have to defend against the idea that any possible problem might not be caused by specific individual actions that each individual is free to decide.  To admit of such a concept might mean that the free-market is not always right.

The concept of systemic causation is the underpinning of much of the ideas for improving quality manufacturing promoted by American quality guru W. Edwards Demming and first put into practice mostly by the Japanese industrialists. Systemic causation is also fundamental to human factors and safety engineering.  It is ironic that some of the same engineers whose careers are built on this concept cannot see it in action outside of the factory.

Follow this link to 22 quotes by W. Edwards Deming that might give you the flavor of the man.

Follow this link to Robert Kuttner’s open letter to David Axelrod.

He urges David Axelrod to advise President Obama’s team to take a more radical approach to fixing the economic crisis.

Kuttner is on the same side as Krugman, but the way he states his case is not all negative about the Obama team performance.  I hope he has more success in getting President Obama’s attention.

Follow this link to a piece by Mark Hulbert that explains why this stock market downturn may have a lot further to go. His claim that this might be the first genuine bear market in three decades gives further credence to Kuttner’s call for more radical action.