http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/inside-the-progressive-think-tank-that-really-runs-canada/I'm torn about these kinds of things:
- Think Tank is an outdated term, reflecting old thinking, old politics, and the worst kind of non-engaging (ie. non-political) elitism
- Political branding is cynical and aggravating, and is the triumph of advertising over the tough problems of problem solving
- Cronyism is one of the worst things about Canadian politics
On the other hand:
- Idea-based politics is badly needed in this time of constant change
- Leading the population is far better than following them, which is what has been happening in the US
- This group has been pushing Open Government which is still waiting to be discovered as a problem-solving tool
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Overall, I would like this to continue but they should be forced to eat their own dogfood to survive. It has a due date built right into the name, which is the best thing about it.