5 ms·

> I blame the governments mostly for this, I completely understand the businesses needing to do what’s best for business. How do you blame government for busin

> I blame the governments mostly for this, I completely understand the businesses needing to do what’s best for business. How do you blame government for businesses running around with planning models that miss wars and pandemics, the two most common causes of ruin and disruption for the entire duration of human history?

salawat 5y ago
...Because making sure businesses in economies plan for that sort of thing is generally something that you have to be a non-transient actor to ensure. Businesses/corps come and go ... the Nation of $nation only tends to do so on the next timescale up. When their actually looking out for systemic blindspots no one else is, and not pandering to the elite.
- version_five 5y ago
  Also (or as a corollary), otherwise businesses have no incentive to plan for rare, adverse events. They will be out-competed by businesses that don't care. Personally I think the solution is for governments to have a contingency plan, and opposed to forcing any individual business to do anything, but if we did want businesses to change their behavior, it's definitely a government issue. Unless somehow "buy my product , it's more expensive because our business hedges against war and pandemics" works in advertising (eco-friendly seems to get some traction, so maybe?)
- g_p 5y ago
  Part of the challenge is that governments tend to come and go on 4 or 5 year cycles, so their priorities tend to be focused on issues likely to (or certain to) happen before the next election or other democratic event. Governments often assume (wrongly) that businesses have incentives to handle long-term risks, since they want to exist for a long time and remain profitable. The reality though is most are more focused on their share price and dividend than handling strategic risks.

5 ms·

> I blame the governments mostly for this, I completely understand the businesses needing to do what’s best for business. How do you blame government for busin

by roughly 5y ago

salawat 5y ago
...Because making sure businesses in economies plan for that sort of thing is generally something that you have to be a non-transient actor to ensure. Businesses/corps come and go ... the Nation of $nation only tends to do so on the next timescale up. When their actually looking out for systemic blindspots no one else is, and not pandering to the elite.
- version_five 5y ago
  Also (or as a corollary), otherwise businesses have no incentive to plan for rare, adverse events. They will be out-competed by businesses that don't care. Personally I think the solution is for governments to have a contingency plan, and opposed to forcing any individual business to do anything, but if we did want businesses to change their behavior, it's definitely a government issue. Unless somehow "buy my product , it's more expensive because our business hedges against war and pandemics" works in advertising (eco-friendly seems to get some traction, so maybe?)
- g_p 5y ago
  Part of the challenge is that governments tend to come and go on 4 or 5 year cycles, so their priorities tend to be focused on issues likely to (or certain to) happen before the next election or other democratic event. Governments often assume (wrongly) that businesses have incentives to handle long-term risks, since they want to exist for a long time and remain profitable. The reality though is most are more focused on their share price and dividend than handling strategic risks.