Reverse evolution

Evolution has not been an efficient process as it clearly favors tactical survival to strategic design. In the Dinosaur era, those who could find food tomorrow had an advantage over those who may have wondered about the meaning of life and such junk. More recently, humans, the recent occupants of mother earth, seem to follow similar patterns.

In the halls of the government, they have been arguing for and against the debt ceiling – some worrying about not being able to pay it back and others worrying about not being able to pay for services tomorrow. They are the leaders of a great civilization – and they count, recount and argue over pennies. Just like dinosaurs, they are focused on tactics and the end outcomes of this exercise are highly predictable as history is an exceptionally good guide in this regard.

Meanwhile, the capital providers and users, are licking their wounds – some worrying about getting their money back tomorrow and others worrying about how to pay their employees the day after. In the corporate suites, the leaders, aided by consultants, cut travel and cafeteria food to save the company and themselves, without ever asking why people travel or eat. In the penthouses of banking they dole out a few dollars on one end expecting a few hundred to come in the other. This is innovation at its best – innovation by accounting and counting.

At this rate, we should be there in a few decades – a world full of counters and tacticians – waiting for a discontinuous change that will wipe the slate clean.