Comments on: When Systems Collapse http://www.futuristspeaker.com/2009/02/when-systems-collapse/ Challenging your thinking, pushing your imagination, creating the future Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:32:39 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: PaulRevere http://www.futuristspeaker.com/2009/02/when-systems-collapse/comment-page-1/#comment-3596 PaulRevere Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:42:41 +0000 http://www.futuristspeaker.com/?p=137#comment-3596 I have been an entrepreneur most of my forty working years. I have been a part of a number of tech start-ups and the single biggest barrier to success, besides funding, was the extreme leverage larger competitors wield. I rarely if ever deduce analysis, most of which is way over intellectualized, that addresses the 'too big to fail, too big to exist' principle. I completely disagree with the author when he states that "The blame for collapse actually should fall at the doorstep of a governmental regulatory process ill-equipped to handle the demands of modern commerce." Like NFL linemen, size is necessary to be competitive in the NFL. As much as the players/owners would like to isolate their field of play as if it is the NFL, the truth is that their field of play must include small businesses sized from individuals on up. They have not a prayer of staying alive unless they steroid up. The idea of unlimited growth and size is relative is what must be addressed at today's juncture with catastrophe and subsequent reorder of basic economic and social principles. Consolidated and concentrated economic power is by nature completely selfish and geared toward dominance. The 'invisible hand', no matter how much transparent data is available cannot cope with concentrated (monopolistic) power. Look at how so few firms on Wall Street have actually manipulated economics to not only cover their trillions of dollars in losses, but to extend the taxpayer largess into giving them further hundreds of billions if not trillions with no strings attached. THAT is where the foundations for addressing our up and coming economic collapse must be built. I have been an entrepreneur most of my forty working years. I have been a part of a number of tech start-ups and the single biggest barrier to success, besides funding, was the extreme leverage larger competitors wield. I rarely if ever deduce analysis, most of which is way over intellectualized, that addresses the ‘too big to fail, too big to exist’ principle.

I completely disagree with the author when he states that “The blame for collapse actually should fall at the doorstep of a governmental regulatory process ill-equipped to handle the demands of modern commerce.”

Like NFL linemen, size is necessary to be competitive in the NFL. As much as the players/owners would like to isolate their field of play as if it is the NFL, the truth is that their field of play must include small businesses sized from individuals on up. They have not a prayer of staying alive unless they steroid up.

The idea of unlimited growth and size is relative is what must be addressed at today’s juncture with catastrophe and subsequent reorder of basic economic and social principles. Consolidated and concentrated economic power is by nature completely selfish and geared toward dominance. The ‘invisible hand’, no matter how much transparent data is available cannot cope with concentrated (monopolistic) power. Look at how so few firms on Wall Street have actually manipulated economics to not only cover their trillions of dollars in losses, but to extend the taxpayer largess into giving them further hundreds of billions if not trillions with no strings attached. THAT is where the foundations for addressing our up and coming economic collapse must be built.

]]> By: Openworld http://www.futuristspeaker.com/2009/02/when-systems-collapse/comment-page-1/#comment-2271 Openworld Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:05:43 +0000 http://www.futuristspeaker.com/?p=137#comment-2271 Your prescription of a global regulatory regime -- a top-down move by political leaders -- is doubtful. World Bank and other estimates have pegged corruption as a $1 trillion global industry. Given the tendency of power to corrupt, why should one propose letting politicians use crises to expand their power? A far better approach will be for free economies to rapidly apply new tools for transparency and trust rebuilding. Wired's recent article at http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/17-03/wp_reboot shows explores XBRL, a key element for countries that want to move on this path. Mark Frazier Openworld.com @openworld (twitter) Your prescription of a global regulatory regime — a top-down move by political leaders — is doubtful. World Bank and other estimates have pegged corruption as a $1 trillion global industry.

Given the tendency of power to corrupt, why should one propose letting politicians use crises to expand their power?

A far better approach will be for free economies to rapidly apply new tools for transparency and trust rebuilding. Wired’s recent article at http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/17-03/wp_reboot shows explores XBRL, a key element for countries that want to move on this path.

Mark Frazier
Openworld.com
@openworld (twitter)

]]> By: Random Man http://www.futuristspeaker.com/2009/02/when-systems-collapse/comment-page-1/#comment-2193 Random Man Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:03:19 +0000 http://www.futuristspeaker.com/?p=137#comment-2193 Do you think the economic crisis will be outweighed by the environmental crisis of climate change? The prospect of greater than 2 degrees of warming sounds far more dire (just check out the IPCC reports) than the current economic woes facing us all. The solution? "Green infrastructure (wind, water, wave and solar) and green jobs, green jobs, green jobs are what we need!" says Random Man on Planet Earth p.s. Love your site !! Do you think the economic crisis will be outweighed by the environmental crisis of climate change?

The prospect of greater than 2 degrees of warming sounds far more dire (just check out the IPCC reports) than the current economic woes facing us all.

The solution?

“Green infrastructure (wind, water, wave and solar) and green jobs, green jobs, green jobs are what we need!”

says Random Man on Planet Earth

p.s. Love your site !!

]]> By: Michael Benidt http://www.futuristspeaker.com/2009/02/when-systems-collapse/comment-page-1/#comment-2191 Michael Benidt Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:18:48 +0000 http://www.futuristspeaker.com/?p=137#comment-2191 Over two years ago now (the fall of 2006) - Chuck Schumer and Mike Bloomberg wrote an article in the New York Times (“To Save New York, Learn from London,”) and told the story of how New York's financial primacy was being threatened by such upstarts as London and Hong Kong. So, what did New York do about the threat to their downtown? Well, as the article says, “That is why New York has hired a consulting firm, which will issue a report in November identifying the specific variables that are negatively impacting our financial-services industry and recommending an action plan to correct them.” Be still my heart. And, how'd that work for us, anyway, huh?! At the same time, Ellensburg, Washington, was facing a dire situation in their downtown - losing business tenants and traffic to their quaint central shopping district. What did Ellensburg do about the threat to their downtown? No consulting firms, no reports - they just dug right in. They started doing everything they could everywhere they could. But since they couldn’t get Schumer and Bloomberg to help, they decided they’d have to make do with a donated web site and a cadre of volunteer college students. They started a MySpace page and got everyone involved. Today, downtown Ellensburg is thriving and growing, using volunteers, new media, friends, needles, thread and paste. Please, Thomas, no global crisis teams or agencies to study anything - just put us all to work. You've done a great job of identifying the problems, let's believe in our collective abilities to get a grip. I see little evidence of "the exceptionally bright among us have a habit of intimidating those around them." Just look at blogs and cable television - not much intimidation going on there! And, yes, thank you John for your comment above. I think you said what I just said - only better. And, thanks, Thomas, for an article that is longer than 140 characters, has a ton of intellectual meat to chew on - and one that's not intimidated by anyone. Over two years ago now (the fall of 2006) – Chuck Schumer and Mike Bloomberg wrote an article in the New York Times (“To Save New York, Learn from London,”) and told the story of how New York’s financial primacy was being threatened by such upstarts as London and Hong Kong. So, what did New York do about the threat to their downtown? Well, as the article says, “That is why New York has hired a consulting firm, which will issue a report in November identifying the specific variables that are negatively impacting our financial-services industry and recommending an action plan to correct them.”

Be still my heart. And, how’d that work for us, anyway, huh?!

At the same time, Ellensburg, Washington, was facing a dire situation in their downtown – losing business tenants and traffic to their quaint central shopping district. What did Ellensburg do about the threat to their downtown? No consulting firms, no reports – they just dug right in.

They started doing everything they could everywhere they could. But since they couldn’t get Schumer and Bloomberg to help, they decided they’d have to make do with a donated web site and a cadre of volunteer college students. They started a MySpace page and got everyone involved.

Today, downtown Ellensburg is thriving and growing, using volunteers, new media, friends, needles, thread and paste.

Please, Thomas, no global crisis teams or agencies to study anything – just put us all to work. You’ve done a great job of identifying the problems, let’s believe in our collective abilities to get a grip.

I see little evidence of “the exceptionally bright among us have a habit of intimidating those around them.” Just look at blogs and cable television – not much intimidation going on there!

And, yes, thank you John for your comment above. I think you said what I just said – only better. And, thanks, Thomas, for an article that is longer than 140 characters, has a ton of intellectual meat to chew on – and one that’s not intimidated by anyone.

]]> By: John Locke http://www.futuristspeaker.com/2009/02/when-systems-collapse/comment-page-1/#comment-2189 John Locke Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:22:42 +0000 http://www.futuristspeaker.com/?p=137#comment-2189 Hi, Great stuff. I mostly agree about the problem, though I don't think it's quite as dire as you suggest. But I'm not sure I agree with your course of action. I look at the situation as being near the end of a big cycle, and the start of a new one. We're in the midst of a period of creative destruction, and the economics of scale have flipped to favor the small instead of the big. So the solution needs to come from the groundswell of people taking action, not imposed as policy from above. Life is the opposite of entropy. It's a constant struggle between vitality and bureaucracy. Entropy tries to even everything out, but pesky little life pops up to make things complicated. It's really a great time, an exciting time, a nerve-wracking time to be here. The main point is, big corporations are running headlong off a cliff. Today Microsoft is suing a company over Linux--corporations are desperate to keep innovation at bay for their own self-preservation. So a call to action is great, but you should be calling everybody to action, to find ways in their own communities to make sure people can stay in their homes, have enough to eat, and reward companies who support their communities. It's time to recognize the true consequences of the accounting systems that ignore human, natural, and manufactured capital and only account for finance. No central decision-making body can do this for us, we need to do it for ourselves, stop patronizing places that destroy communities by sending jobs overseas, start helping companies who create jobs. @DaVinciDeb asked for comment, guess I got a little carried away... Hi,

Great stuff. I mostly agree about the problem, though I don’t think it’s quite as dire as you suggest. But I’m not sure I agree with your course of action.

I look at the situation as being near the end of a big cycle, and the start of a new one. We’re in the midst of a period of creative destruction, and the economics of scale have flipped to favor the small instead of the big. So the solution needs to come from the groundswell of people taking action, not imposed as policy from above.

Life is the opposite of entropy. It’s a constant struggle between vitality and bureaucracy. Entropy tries to even everything out, but pesky little life pops up to make things complicated. It’s really a great time, an exciting time, a nerve-wracking time to be here. The main point is, big corporations are running headlong off a cliff. Today Microsoft is suing a company over Linux–corporations are desperate to keep innovation at bay for their own self-preservation.

So a call to action is great, but you should be calling everybody to action, to find ways in their own communities to make sure people can stay in their homes, have enough to eat, and reward companies who support their communities. It’s time to recognize the true consequences of the accounting systems that ignore human, natural, and manufactured capital and only account for finance. No central decision-making body can do this for us, we need to do it for ourselves, stop patronizing places that destroy communities by sending jobs overseas, start helping companies who create jobs.

@DaVinciDeb asked for comment, guess I got a little carried away…

]]>