The Tyranny of Dead Ideas
Matt Miller
February 26, 2009
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Milken Institute
With a new administration in charge in Washington, "change" is the mantra of the moment. But are Americans truly ready to rethink their fundamental assumptions - and discard the notions that are holding us back?
Author and NPR host Matt Miller makes a compelling case for shaking up the status quo in his latest book, The Tyranny of Dead Ideas: Letting Go of the Old Ways of Thinking to Unleash a New Prosperity.
At this Milken Institute Forum, Miller challenged the audience to reconsider conventional wisdom, including beliefs such as:
• Our 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 merit.
Miller proposes a sea change in our way of thinking based on an honest assessment of the forces currently at work. In the words of Time magazine's Joe Klein: "The Tyranny of Dead Ideas offers the most plausible way to renovate our political and policy thinking to meet the challenges of the 21st century – if we have the guts to go forward."
Matt Miller is a contributing editor at Fortune, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and the host of public radio's Left, Right, and Center. A former White House aide during the Clinton administration, he is a consultant to corporations, governments and nonprofits. His first book was The Two Percent Solution: Fixing America's Problems in Ways Liberals and Conservatives Can Love.
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