DIY Government

Two articles caught my eye this weekend, artists are taking government into their own hands and improving cities themselves. Why not? If we wait for our governments to actually fix anything we could be waiting a long time.... But, on the other hand, what if the artists are not that good at fixing things either?

Second is a cure for famine - stop listening to advice from developing countries! According to the NYTimes, Malawi found that it's better to look at what developed countries actually do (namely subsidize farming) rather than what they tell others to do. Malawis suffered a devastating famine several years ago and not wanting a repeat invested in fertilizers. It's a great read and I think it questions conventional wisdom in the west over the last 20 years or so.