What's the best way to organise society?

One of the great things about the Internet is that you can attend lectures without actually being there! And you can get to hear the most important lecturers in each field instead of the overblown idiot at your local college.

Here's a lecture from one of the world's leading Economics theorists - Jared Diamond.

His view is that societies progress most quickly through a process of competitive collaboration. The EU and China may be good examples of this. The EU's 25 states and China's 27 provinces - in Diamond's view - should act and compete independently but information should be allowed to flow freely between them, so they all share the benefits of scientific development and innovation.

How societies can regulate this situation to make sure it works is an interesting puzzle - but anyway, here's his lecture:

http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/diamond_rich/rich_p1.html