Foxy Futurists and how to become one. Clem Sunter
in the volatility and instability of financial markets. In turn, by making real economies more unpredictable, these roller-coaster fluctuations destroy the livelihoods of small traders and farmers, increase business bankruptcies and disrupt the plans of supposedly sovereign governments to provide a better life for all.”
Five years after we wrote these words, the Crash began in the middle of 2007. The derivatives market peaked at $532 trillion, but nobody can put a value on it today. Its fall has led to the biggest decline in the global economy since the 1930s and the biggest bailout of banks ever seen. Even we are gobsmacked by the magnitude of the disaster.
We argued at the time that companies had to move away from the predatory tooth-and-claw logic of the lion to the more caring, holistic philosophy of the elephant. We called the process ‘shapeshifting’, since it involves a shift in the basic paradigm underlying all large-scale commercial activity. In particular, we needed to strive for a proper balance between cooperation and competition, and a continuing diversity of business species, large and small, strong and weak.
Moreover, we urged readers of our book to beware of ‘leophants’ who “want to be all things to all people – sucking up to shareholders when it suits them and rolling over for the ‘greenies’ when circumstances demand. They have recognised that some of their lion traits are going to get them into trouble sooner or later, and that elephants are beginning to gain favour in the world.
“As a result, they are just starting to test the water – introducing an environmental policy here, adopting a corporate governance code there, adding a few nonfinancial performance measures, setting up community forums. They are not yet bold enough to whip off their lion suits and dive right into the refreshing pool of sustainability. After all, there may be sharp objects lurking beneath the surface; besides other lions might laugh if they discover that their roar is bigger than their . . . well, you know!”
It was a genuine change of heart that Wayne and I were calling for – a revolution of the corporate mind. Keep your trunks crossed because maybe the Crash will turn out to be the most effective shapeshifter we’ve had in a long time. The only difference between a plundering dictator and a plundering director is technique. Both have to go.
Welcome to the world of the elephant where natural self-interest never spills over into unreasonable greed.
Was Michael Jackson a hero?
| The tumult surrounding Michael Jackson’s death has passed, as I surmised it would in the article. Real heroes make a difference in other people’s lives by offering grand visions and then helping people to achieve them, without any personal gain. In my catalogue, Steve Biko qualifies as a hero not only through articulating his beliefs in a way that was very persuasive: he was prepared to die for them as well. As he put it: “If all good days lasted for years there would be nothing good about them. But because they last only till dusk, they are always remembered with longing when bad days come. They serve the purpose of brightening the spirit on bitter wintry days.” Heroes may lead transitory lives, but they leave a permanent impression. |
“He was my hero.” It was a simple message on a placard outside Michael Jackson’s home. It got me thinking: “What is a hero, and was Jackson one?”
So, for a start, I went to the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary for a definition. It was split into three parts:
1 A name given to men of superhuman strength, courage, or ability favoured by the gods.
2 One who does brave and noble deeds; an illustrious warrior.
3 A man who exhibits extraordinary bravery, firmness, or greatness of soul, in connection with any pursuit, work or enterprise.
Before answering the question of Jackson’s credentials, I think it is worthwhile looking back in history at examples. Achilles was the Greek hero of Homer’s Iliad. He killed Hector in the Trojan War and was himself killed by Paris, who shot a poisoned arrow into his vulnerable heel. That is according to the Hutchinson Encyclopaedia.
Aeneas, on the other hand, was the Roman hero of the epic poem by Virgil entitled, unsurprisingly, The Aeneid. He wandered around the Mediterranean and fell in love with Dido, Queen of Carthage, before founding the Roman State. Both these men were favoured by the gods and fell within the first definition.
In their own way, they set the example for the second definition, which covers both warriors and intrepid explorers. Consider England’s national heroes. Boadicea was a British Queen who resisted the Romans (despite the definition, women also qualify); Arthur and his knights of the Round Table repelled pagan Saxon invaders; Henry the Fifth defeated the French at Agincourt in 1415; Horatio Nelson (the greatest of them all) defeated the combined French and Spanish Fleet at Trafalgar in 1805; Winston Churchill led the nation during the Second World War; and explorers included Livingstone, Scott of the Antarctic (even though he didn’t get to the South Pole first) and Shackleton.
The third definition covers a much wider range of people. Great statesmen such as early American presidents Washington and Lincoln and latterly John Kennedy qualify. Our own Nelson Mandela is right up there with Ghandi. Great names in literature such as Shakespeare and Tolstoy; in art, Leonardo da Vinci; in science, Einstein; in music Beethoven are all in the hero class. Sport would feature Pele (soccer), Bradman (cricket) and Mohammed Ali (boxing). Good deeds would produce candidates like Florence Nightingale, Mother Theresa and Princess Diana.
Now comes the crunch. If Michael Jackson qualifies, it’s in the third category, for greatness of soul in connection with his pursuit. You might want to rule him out for his morals. But Admiral Nelson had an affair with the famous courtesan of the times, Emma Hamilton. Kennedy hooked up with Marilyn Monroe and many others. Still, you might say, Jackson’s relationship with children put him in a different league.
In terms of his music, he has to be up there with the likes of Presley, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Madonna. Thriller for me was a knockout album, and who can forget the video that accompanied the title track? Jackson undoubtedly brought a huge amount of joy into the lives of millions of fans around the world. In addition, he broke down the barriers for black artists in the United States.
Nevertheless, I cannot bring myself to call him a hero. Celebrity icon, yes; hero, no. It is very much a personal decision, so I would not dispute the authenticity of the message on the placard. He or she is entitled to that opinion; I am entitled to mine.
As for South African heroes, I would put Nelson Mandela, Jan Smuts, Desmond Tutu, Christiaan Barnard, Harry Oppenheimer, Anton Rupert and Helen Suzman at the top of my list. Whom would you nominate?
The sound of silence
| In our second book, Games Foxes Play, Chantell and I said that in the field of HIV/Aids, South Africa had moved from an Early Days scenario in 1985 to the Graveyard Shift in 2005. Thereafter, with a strong response, two scenarios were possible: Abc, where the infection rate drops because young people are encouraged to abstain; if they can’t abstain, be faithful; and if they can’t be faithful, wear condoms; and Mass Medication, where everybody who is HIV positive has access to anti-retroviral therapy. We are making headway in combating the epidemic in terms of the second scenario, but we still have not come up with effective prevention programmes. The flags show that in certain age groups of the adult population, infection rates have topped out. It is not enough. We need a substantial decline for any statement to be made that the Abc scenario is becoming reality. How can South Africa remain in the Premier League of nations if a large proportion of its young players are on constant medication or, worse still, get sick and die a premature death? |
“Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again …” These are the opening lines of ‘The Sound of Silence’, a popular song of the 1960s by Simon and Garfunkel. The theme of the song is about the inability of people to communicate with one another.
As South Africans, we fall into this chasm at times – and no more so than in the field of HIV/Aids. I was having lunch the other day with a friend who has made a big difference in the