Whether heads of families, corporations or government agencies, it is incumbent upon each of us to evaluate how we can do better—both now and in the future—to prepare for and cope with both small- and large-scale emergencies.
The typical response to crises is often described as “managed chaos”. This is particularly true when the onset is sudden, the affect is broad, and the duration lingers.
Our healthcare costs keep increasing much faster than inflation, year after year. According to figures released in December 2019 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the annual growth rate of healthcare spending was 4.6% in 2018, vs. 3.9% in 2017, 4.8% for 2016 and 5.8% for 2015. We spent $3.6 trillion in this area, or 17.8% of GDP.
When most people picture economic development, they think of smooth-talking men convincing companies to bring their jobs and investment to a community in exchange for infrastructure improvements and tax breaks. They think about backroom deals at the steakhouse and golf course. While this may be true to some degree in some communities, there is a growing movement towards equitable economic development.
“Our Gross National Product…counts air pollution and cigarette advertising…special locks for our doors and the jails for the people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwood and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl.
It counts napalm and counts nuclear warheads and armored cars for the police to fight the riots in our cities…