The CEOs of the world's largest companies would like to think they are the masters of the universe: the seers of the modern world. Then you get a headline like this from The Guardian:
The rise of nationalism and governments that interfere in markets pose a threat to the global economic system, the boss of BHP, the world's biggest mining company, has warned.
He really did reach that stunning conclusion.
That nationalism challenges globalism is something he has just appreciated.
Maybe, just maybe, he needs to notice the world outside Davos and his corporate HQ just a little more often?
Perhaps a little light reading on political economy might help him?
Or just a gram of common sense might be useful?
When this was his lightbulb moment you have to worry.
Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:
You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.
And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:
“Lightbulb moment” and “common sense” are not as obvious to some as you seem to think Richard. As the guardnog article says “Despite huge profit, BHP’s Andrew Mackenzie is cautious on global outlook”.
Where you and I (and one of us is even an accountant) see the word “profit” as a feature – an aspect – of money, the globalist sees it as a thing in itself, i.e. the naural consequence of free-market hegemony.
Not for them the “earn 10d and spend 9d, result = happiness” crap. They know that money is power once it undertakes its mundance tedious and sordid tasks for the (ever increasing) majority of us – like paying for accomodation, heat, food and education.
Power, control, propaganda and censorship, money is never mentioned but always considered.
It’s amazing that people do think profit is real
It’s just a rather poor arithmetical formulation at best
You might call it an epiphenomenon – a consequence of other actions
Of course, it can also result in cash piles. That’s what some think it means
A former CEO of mine told me w great excitement one day not long after he’d got his first cellphone that he’d received a call while he was in China from one other directors.
Oh? (as in “So what?”)
Triumphant reply: He was in India! Incredible!!
This happened in the Philippines at a time when even the very poor were keeping in touch w relations abroad by text message, using cyber cafés to chat via Skype or Yahoo Messenger.
Senior executives being out of touch with the world around them isn’t new and it happens in politics too. It’s happening in the Tory party now.
🙂