Comments on: The Tyranny of Short Term Thinking (and Acting) http://blurringborders.com/2009/01/04/the-tyranny-of-short-term-thinking-and-acting/ Tech Policy, Development and World Affairs Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:26:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Spencer Mann http://blurringborders.com/2009/01/04/the-tyranny-of-short-term-thinking-and-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-309 Spencer Mann Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:45:14 +0000 http://blurringborders.com/?p=526#comment-309 Just stumbled upon your site and thought that this nicely summed up my opinion about our society. Capitalism is fundamentally entwined with short term thinking, the role of government should be to balance this out with long term consequences. When both government and capitalism align with short term interests, we find ourselves in very real trouble. The real question is: How do you get the man on the street to start thinking long term again? Just stumbled upon your site and thought that this nicely summed up my opinion about our society. Capitalism is fundamentally entwined with short term thinking, the role of government should be to balance this out with long term consequences. When both government and capitalism align with short term interests, we find ourselves in very real trouble. The real question is: How do you get the man on the street to start thinking long term again?

]]> By: Spencer Mann http://blurringborders.com/2009/01/04/the-tyranny-of-short-term-thinking-and-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-241 Spencer Mann Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:45:14 +0000 http://blurringborders.com/?p=526#comment-241 Just stumbled upon your site and thought that this nicely summed up my opinion about our society. Capitalism is fundamentally entwined with short term thinking, the role of government should be to balance this out with long term consequences. When both government and capitalism align with short term interests, we find ourselves in very real trouble. The real question is: How do you get the man on the street to start thinking long term again? Just stumbled upon your site and thought that this nicely summed up my opinion about our society. Capitalism is fundamentally entwined with short term thinking, the role of government should be to balance this out with long term consequences. When both government and capitalism align with short term interests, we find ourselves in very real trouble. The real question is: How do you get the man on the street to start thinking long term again?

]]> By: andrewwang http://blurringborders.com/2009/01/04/the-tyranny-of-short-term-thinking-and-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-217 andrewwang Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:47:38 +0000 http://blurringborders.com/?p=526#comment-217 Speaking of Barack Obama: LONG LIVE EMPEROR OBAMA!<br> <br>Obama is a racial-minority individual and does not like racism:<br><br>I know it may be hard to believe, but there is absolutely no doubt about it: Ronald Wilson Reagan committed horrible, racist, hate crimes during his presidency.<br> <br>A lot of people know about the infamy surrounding Ronald Wilson Reagan's former existence.<br> <br>And a lot of people will know about Reagan's infamy--even until the end of human existence: they'll find out.<br> <br>Numbers 32:23: "Be sure your sin will find you out." <br><br>Respectfully Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang, J.D. Candidate<br>B.S., With the Highest Level of Academic Honors at Graduation, 1996<br>Messiah College, Grantham, PA<br>Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993<br><br>(I can type 90 words per minute, and there are thousands of copies on the Internet indicating the content of this post. And there are at least hundreds of copies in very many countries around the world.)<br>_________________<br>"If only it were possible to ban invention that bottled up memories so they never faded and they never got stale." Off the top of my head—it came from my Lower Merion High School yearbook. Speaking of Barack Obama: LONG LIVE EMPEROR OBAMA!

Obama is a racial-minority individual and does not like racism:

I know it may be hard to believe, but there is absolutely no doubt about it: Ronald Wilson Reagan committed horrible, racist, hate crimes during his presidency.

A lot of people know about the infamy surrounding Ronald Wilson Reagan's former existence.

And a lot of people will know about Reagan's infamy–even until the end of human existence: they'll find out.

Numbers 32:23: “Be sure your sin will find you out.”

Respectfully Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang, J.D. Candidate
B.S., With the Highest Level of Academic Honors at Graduation, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993

(I can type 90 words per minute, and there are thousands of copies on the Internet indicating the content of this post. And there are at least hundreds of copies in very many countries around the world.)
_________________
“If only it were possible to ban invention that bottled up memories so they never faded and they never got stale.” Off the top of my head—it came from my Lower Merion High School yearbook.

]]> By: Kevin D http://blurringborders.com/2009/01/04/the-tyranny-of-short-term-thinking-and-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-127 Kevin D Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:18:52 +0000 http://blurringborders.com/?p=526#comment-127 I think both of you are right - firms need to be held accountable, but some form of regulation may be needed because leadership changes and with it goes the memory of the cost of failure. What remains is the motivation for short-term profits. Memories are shorter lived than laws. I think both of you are right – firms need to be held accountable, but some form of regulation may be needed because leadership changes and with it goes the memory of the cost of failure. What remains is the motivation for short-term profits. Memories are shorter lived than laws.

]]> By: Alex Klein http://blurringborders.com/2009/01/04/the-tyranny-of-short-term-thinking-and-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-126 Alex Klein Sun, 04 Jan 2009 23:06:36 +0000 http://blurringborders.com/?p=526#comment-126 Tim, do you really think that banks would learn from their mistakes, with or without the bailout? <br><br>I think the only way to _ensure_ that companies are thinking long-term is to have the government step in and make it unattractive or impossible for short-term thinking to trump long-term thinking. That will remove the prisoner's dilemma-like problem for financial institutions trying to make good decisions while facing competition that makes dumber, but more immediately profitable, decisions. Tim, do you really think that banks would learn from their mistakes, with or without the bailout?

I think the only way to _ensure_ that companies are thinking long-term is to have the government step in and make it unattractive or impossible for short-term thinking to trump long-term thinking. That will remove the prisoner's dilemma-like problem for financial institutions trying to make good decisions while facing competition that makes dumber, but more immediately profitable, decisions.

]]> By: Tim Lee http://blurringborders.com/2009/01/04/the-tyranny-of-short-term-thinking-and-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-125 Tim Lee Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:47:09 +0000 http://blurringborders.com/?p=526#comment-125 The most important thing we can do to encourage long-term thinking is to not shield Wall Street firms from the long-term results of their short-sighted decisions. This is what's so damaging about the bailout. From now on, banks will have no incentive whatsoever to avoid high-risk investments. The most important thing we can do to encourage long-term thinking is to not shield Wall Street firms from the long-term results of their short-sighted decisions. This is what's so damaging about the bailout. From now on, banks will have no incentive whatsoever to avoid high-risk investments.

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