Nothing new 40
In a speech on May 16, 2009, Michelle Obama announced that the President has ordered the establishment of ‘an Office of Social Innovation’.
Bearing in mind that in a political context the word ‘social’ negates any word that it precedes – as in ‘social justice’, ‘social democracy’, ‘social conscience’ – this is not good news for innovation.
True innovation springs from originality of thought, and it occurs only when gifted and inspired individuals have time and money to spare, and where they can reasonably expect achievement to bring reward.
When individual freedom is suppressed and conformity imposed, innovation is brought to an end. And when that happens in a nation, it stagnates.
By ‘social innovation’ the Obamas can only mean community organizing. The Office of Social Innovation will recruit a multitude of young volunteers to pressure their fellow citizens into consensus and obedience, in preparation for concerted ‘grass-roots’ political action – as was done by young Maoists in China’s ‘Cultural Revolution’; as the Hitler Youth did in the Third Reich.
