Jeff Sachs is not know for his temerity, and in this Guardian piece on Rio+20 he is outspoken in his criticism of the role of business in dampening democracy and undercutting the possibility of agreement on real change. It’s a serious interview and worth careful reading. Not everyone will agree with all his analysis, of course, but he is always a voice to be heard. It’s been my privilege to meet Jeff and I hold him in high regard.
In passing, he makes a comment about the potential of social media especially worth noting. His concern is that, since the basic business model is tailored ads, the net effect will be to draw us yet further into a consumerist society, response to marketing ploys and enmeshed in the ills of contemporary capitalism. Yet: “social networking has the power to break the existing power structures.” It does. I believe it will, in business and government. The process has barely begun.
FutureofBiz.org 