ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Bhu Srinivasan - Writer
Bhu Srinivasan writes about economics, history and statecraft.

Why you should listen

Bhu Srinivasan's first book, AMERICANA: A 400-Year History of American Capitalism, explores the intersections of democracy and capitalism. The Economist selected it as one of its Best Books of 2017. A venture-backed entrepreneur from his early 20s, Srinivasan has built media properties in publishing, gaming, financial content, and technology ranging from video games to municipal bonds. He is currently working on adapting his book to television, identifying the next big things, and outlining his next book.

More profile about the speaker
Bhu Srinivasan | Speaker | TED.com
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Bhu Srinivasan: Capitalism isn't an ideology -- it's an operating system

布·許尼凡森: 資本主義不是意識形態,而是作業系統

Filmed:
1,103,540 views

布·許尼凡森研究資本主義和科技進步間的交集。他建議,不要視資本主義為堅固不變的意識形態,而是需要升級的作業系統,以期趕得上創新的腳步,例如那些即將崛起的無人機遞送服務。請聽這場簡潔且前瞻的演說,進一步了解自由市場的過去、未來,以及美國版資本主義即將面臨的認同危機。
- Writer
Bhu Srinivasan writes about economics, history and statecraft. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

資本主義是什麼?
00:12
So, what is capitalism資本主義?
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00:14
Capitalism資本主義, fundamentally從根本上,
is a series系列 of marketplaces交易市場.
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基本上,資本主義是一系列的市場。
00:17
You can have a marketplace市井 for lemonade檸檬汽水,
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你可能有檸檬水的市場、
00:19
a marketplace市井 for lemons檸檬,
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檸檬的市場、
00:20
a marketplace市井 for trucks卡車
that transport運輸 lemons檸檬,
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運送檸檬之卡車的市場、
00:22
a marketplace市井 that fuels燃料 those trucks卡車,
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供應那些卡車燃料的市場、
00:25
marketplaces交易市場 that sell wood
to build建立 lemonade檸檬汽水 stands站立.
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販售木頭來建造檸檬水攤子的市場。
00:28
However然而, capitalism資本主義 of course課程, as we know,
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然而,當然,如我們所知,
資本主義這個詞若不是被讚揚,
00:31
is this either celebrated著名 term術語
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00:33
or condemned譴責 term術語.
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就是被譴責。
00:35
It's either revered尊敬 or it's reviled唾罵.
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它若不是被尊敬,就是被謾罵。
00:37
And I'm here to argue爭論
that this is because capitalism資本主義,
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我在這裡爭辯說,這是因為
在現代迭代中的資本主義,
在很大程度上被誤解了。
00:41
in the modern現代 iteration迭代,
is largely大部分 misunderstood誤解.
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00:44
In my view視圖,
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依我所見,
00:46
capitalism資本主義 should not
be thought of as an ideology思想,
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資本主義不該被視為一種意識形態,
00:48
but instead代替 should be thought of
as an operating操作 system系統.
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而應該被視為是一種作業系統。
00:52
Think of your iPhone蘋果手機.
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想想你的 iPhone。
00:54
Your iPhone蘋果手機 merges合併 hardware硬件 with software軟件.
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你的 iPhone 結合硬體和軟體,
00:58
Apps應用 and hardware硬件.
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結合應用程式和硬體。
01:00
Now think about all the hardware硬件
as the physical物理 reality現實 all around you,
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現在,把所有硬體都想成
你周邊的實體現實環境,
01:03
and think of the apps應用
as entrepreneurial創業 activity活動,
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把應用程式想成企業家的活動、
01:06
creative創作的 energy能源.
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創意能量。
01:08
And in-between在兩者之間,
you have an operating操作 system系統.
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在兩者之間有個作業系統。
01:11
As you have advances進步 in hardware硬件,
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當你的硬體進步時,
01:13
you have advances進步 in software軟件.
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你的軟體也會進步。
01:15
And the operating操作 system系統 needs需求 to keep up.
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而作業系統得要跟上。
01:17
It needs需求 to be patched修補,
it needs需求 to be updated更新,
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它需要補丁、需要更新,
01:20
new releases發布 have to happen發生.
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一定要推出新版本。
01:22
And all of these things
have to happen發生 symbiotically共生.
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所有這些都是共生的。
01:25
The operating操作 system系統 needs需求
to keep getting得到 more and more advanced高級
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作業系統需要不斷進步,
01:28
to keep up with innovation革新.
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才能跟得上創新。
01:31
And this is why, fundamentally從根本上,
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這就是為什麼,基本上,
01:34
when you think about it
as an operating操作 system系統,
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當你把它視為一種作業系統,
01:36
it devolves轉予 the language語言 of ideology思想
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它就會轉移意識形態的表達方式,
01:38
away from what traditional傳統
defenders捍衛者 of capitalism資本主義 think.
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遠離資本主義的傳統辯護者的想法。
01:42
But even if you go to the constitution憲法,
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但,就算你去查憲法,
01:44
you'll你會 notice注意, before the founders創始人
even got to the First Amendment修訂 --
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你會發現,在開國元老
著手憲法第一修正案之前──
01:47
with free自由 speech言語,
free自由 religion宗教, free自由 press,
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保護言論自由、宗教自由、
媒體自由的修正案──
01:50
they thought about patents專利 and copyright版權.
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他們已想到專利和版權了。
01:53
They talked about the government's政府的 role角色
in promoting促進 arts藝術 and sciences科學.
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他們談到政府在推動
藝術和科學時所扮演的角色。
01:57
It's the reason原因 why I could not start開始
a search搜索 engine發動機 tomorrow明天 called Goggle護目鏡.
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這就是為什麼我不能在明天
起造一個名叫 Goggle 的搜尋引擎。
02:02
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
02:03
Google谷歌 doesn't own擁有 GsGS,
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Google 並不擁有「G」,
02:05
but I couldn't不能 do it
because there could be some confusion混亂.
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但我不能這麼做,因為會造成混淆。
所以甚至連財產權
都預留著模糊空間。
02:07
So even property屬性 rights權利
have ambiguity歧義 built內置 into them.
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02:11
And on and on.
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諸如此類。
02:12
And by 1900, you have other types類型
of property屬性 that come into being存在.
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到 1900 年,
其他類型的資產出現了。
02:16
For instance, imagine想像 that in 1900,
you owned擁有的 100 acres of land土地
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比如,想像你在 1900 年
擁有 100 英畝的土地,
02:20
someplace某個地方 in the Midwest中西部.
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位在中西部的某處。
02:22
It's very easy簡單 to see
where your fence籬笆 ends結束,
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很容易看見你的籬笆止於哪裡、
02:24
your neighbor's鄰居 property屬性 begins開始.
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鄰居的產權從哪裡開始。
02:26
Now let me ask you,
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讓我請教各位,
02:27
where in the sky天空 does your property屬性 end結束?
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你的產權界線到天空的哪裡?
02:30
Does it end結束 at 1,000 feet,
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到 1000 英呎高為止嗎?
02:31
5,000 feet, 10,000 feet?
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5000 英呎?10000 英呎?
02:34
It makes品牌 no difference區別,
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沒有差別,
02:35
because other than the novelty新奇
of a few少數 hot-air熱氣 balloons氣球,
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因為除了少數的熱氣球
新奇經驗之外,
02:38
man couldn't不能 fly.
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人是不能飛的。
02:40
But within three years年份, he could.
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但在三年之內,人能飛了。
02:41
Now all of a sudden突然,
it was very much relevant相應
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突然間,你的土地資產
02:44
whether是否 your land土地 ends結束
at 1,000 feet in the sky天空,
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是止於 1000 、5000
或 10000 英呎的高空,
02:47
5,000 feet, 10,000 feet.
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就變得很重要了。
02:49
And you have to have
someone有人 arbitrate仲裁 that.
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你需要有人仲裁。
02:53
And indeed確實, that's exactly究竟 what happened發生.
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的確,事情的進展正是這樣。
02:55
And five or ten years年份 from now,
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再過五或十年後,
02:56
when Amazon亞馬遜 wants to deliver交付 a package
over your house to your neighbor鄰居
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當亞馬遜想要越過你家上空,
把 USP 貨車上的包裹
遞送給你鄰居時,
03:00
from that UPSUPS truck卡車,
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03:01
we're going to have to decide決定:
Does you property屬性 end結束 at five feet,
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我們就得要判定:你的產權止於
5、10、50 還是 100 英呎高呢?
03:05
10 feet, 50 feet, 100 feet?
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03:07
Where does it end結束?
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到多高呢?
03:09
And there is no ideology思想
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沒有任何意識形態
03:10
that will tell you
where your property屬性 ends結束.
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能告訴你你的產權界線。
03:14
It's an operating操作 system系統.
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作業系統能。
03:16
And similarly同樣,
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我們用汽車來看類似的情況。
03:17
we're going to see this with automobiles汽車.
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03:19
A few少數 years年份 after the Wright賴特 brothers兄弟
figured想通 out flight飛行,
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萊特兄弟想出如何飛行之後幾年,
03:22
human人的 beings眾生 started開始 using運用
more and more cars汽車.
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人類使用汽車更頻繁了。
03:24
And all of a sudden突然,
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突然間,
03:25
the regulatory監管 system系統 --
the operating操作 system系統 --
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監管制度──即作業系統──
03:27
had to be patched修補 to all of a sudden突然
address地址 the safety安全 of consumers消費者.
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突然需要被修補,
以處理消費者的安全問題。
03:32
That the consumers消費者 of vehicles汽車
were presenting呈現 danger危險 to horses馬匹,
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使用汽車的人會危害到馬、
03:35
other pedestrians行人, trolleys手推車,
what have you.
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其他行人、電車等等。
03:38
And all of a sudden突然,
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突然間,
03:40
the drivers司機 of these automobiles汽車
had to have driver's司機 licenses許可證, eye exams考試,
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汽車駕駛就需要考駕照、
通過視力檢驗,
03:43
registered註冊 motor發動機 vehicles汽車, speed速度 limits範圍,
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車輛需要登記,路上設有速限,
03:46
rules規則 of the road,
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要遵守交通規則,
03:47
so that horses馬匹, pedestrians行人,
could coexist共存 with cars汽車.
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這麼一來,馬和行人
才能和汽車共存。
03:52
It had to be backwards向後 compatible兼容.
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它得要和過去的事物相容,
03:55
So a new invention發明 had to basically基本上 fit適合
advances進步 from the past過去.
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新發明必須基本上符合過去的發展。
04:00
Similarly同樣, five or ten years年份 from now,
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同樣地,五到十年後,
04:02
we're going to see the same相同 thing
with self-driving自駕車 cars汽車 --
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自駕車也會面臨同樣的狀況──
要和人類駕駛的汽車共存。
04:05
coexisting並存 with human-driven人力驅動 cars汽車.
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04:07
The reason原因 why this is important重要,
is in 10 years年份,
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這之所以很重要是因為,十年內,
04:09
another另一個 thing is going to happen發生
beyond drones無人駕駛飛機 and self-driving自駕車 cars汽車,
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還會有別的東西出現,
超越無人機和自駕車,
04:12
but you're going to see
the most valuable有價值 economy經濟 in the world世界 --
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但你將會見到世上
市值最高的經濟體──
04:16
the largest最大 economy經濟 in the world世界 --
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世上最大的經濟體──
04:17
is going to be a country國家
run by communists共產主義者.
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會是共產統治的國家。
04:20
The Chinese中文 seem似乎 to be
very good at capitalism資本主義.
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中國人似乎對資本主義很在行。
04:24
And this is going to have
fundamental基本的 problems問題
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這將會有很根本的問題,
04:27
and present當下 an identity身分 crisis危機
for the United聯合的 States狀態.
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會讓美國產生認同危機。
04:31
Because for a long time,
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因為,長期以來,
自由市場與言論自由、新聞自由,
04:33
free自由 markets市場 coincided恰逢 with liberties自由
such這樣 as free自由 speech言語, free自由 press,
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宗教自由等自由,正好相吻合。
04:39
free自由 religion宗教.
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04:40
And all of a sudden突然,
this equation方程 is going to be decoupled解耦.
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突然間,這等式將會被解離。
04:44
And when it gets得到 decoupled解耦,
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當它解離時,
04:46
we might威力 find that democracy民主,
the multitude of voices聲音,
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我們可能會發現,
民主,大眾的聲音,
04:49
actually其實 impedes阻礙 capitalism資本主義
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其實會妨礙資本主義。
04:52
because a state that does not have
any pretense虛偽 of limited有限 government政府
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因為一個連「假裝限制政府權利」
都免了的國家,
04:56
can very quickly很快 mandate要求
a regulatory監管 framework骨架 for drones無人駕駛飛機,
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能很快地制定監管的架構,
來監管無人機、電動車、自駕車,
04:59
for electric電動 cars汽車, for self-driving自駕車 cars汽車,
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05:02
for any new innovation革新
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和任何他們認為
05:04
where they feel that they can leapfrog蛙跳
Western西 societies社會.
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能快速超越西方社會的創新。
05:08
And this is a very unique獨特 thing
in the American美國 experience經驗.
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這在美國經驗中是非常獨特的。
05:13
And this is why it's very important重要
to think of American美國 capitalism資本主義
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這就是為什麼
視美國資本主義為作業系統,
05:17
as an operating操作 system系統
and not as an ideology思想.
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而非意識形態,極為重要。
05:20
Because when you think about it
as an ideology思想,
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因為如果你把它視為意識形態,
05:22
you can have good politics政治
make for very, very bad policy政策.
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好的政治也可能會導致
非常非常不好的政策。
05:28
That market市場 outcomes結果 and democratic民主的 voices聲音
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市場表現和民主聲音,
05:31
and battles戰鬥 for votes
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以及選票之爭,
05:33
can end結束 up stifling progress進展.
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最後可能會扼殺了進步。
05:37
So over the next下一個 few少數 years年份,
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所以,在接下來幾年,
05:39
as this political政治 cycle週期 plays播放 out,
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隨著這政治循環的發展,
05:41
you're going to see American美國 democracy民主
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你們將會看到美國民主
05:45
rise上升 to meet遇到 the challenges挑戰
that capitalism資本主義 poses姿勢 and modernity現代 poses姿勢.
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面對資本主義和現代性
所帶來的挑戰。
05:50
And I ask policymakers政策制定者 to think about --
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我要求決策者考慮
05:55
decoupling去耦 ideology思想 from economics經濟學,
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將意識形態與經濟學脫鉤,
05:59
and think about how good policy政策
can ultimately最終 become成為 good politics政治.
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並考慮好的政策
如何最終成為好政治。
06:03
Thank you.
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謝謝。
06:05
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Lilian Chiu
Reviewed by Helen Chang

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Bhu Srinivasan - Writer
Bhu Srinivasan writes about economics, history and statecraft.

Why you should listen

Bhu Srinivasan's first book, AMERICANA: A 400-Year History of American Capitalism, explores the intersections of democracy and capitalism. The Economist selected it as one of its Best Books of 2017. A venture-backed entrepreneur from his early 20s, Srinivasan has built media properties in publishing, gaming, financial content, and technology ranging from video games to municipal bonds. He is currently working on adapting his book to television, identifying the next big things, and outlining his next book.

More profile about the speaker
Bhu Srinivasan | Speaker | TED.com