Anna:   Business is the most pervasive, powerful institution on the planet, practised in every corner of the globe, and is the most efficient system for creating wealth.

Business has proved to be more flexible and adaptive than government bureaucracies, education systems or other institutions.

Business also attracts most of the brightest, most innovative and competent people in society.

Many of the problems affecting the planet today such as resource degradation, pollution, and inequality of wealth distribution are by-products or effects of the negative aspects of business. Business does have a responsibility to clean up its act.

Leon:    Business may have been brilliant at creating wealth but it has never assumed nor been assigned responsibility for wealth distribution. As a consequence, disproportionate amounts of wealth are accruing to fewer and fewer individuals and less and less is available for the common good.

Anna:    Nor has business been required to pay the full cost of delivering its products and services (i.e. externalities) and we consumers have been happy to go along with that because we seem always to want to get more and pay less.

Leon:   There are only three other global institutions capable of tackling the big challenges of poverty, resource depletion, waste management and peace facing mankind today.  That’s government, religion and NGOs. We don’t see organised religion as helping much. They have the means to make a difference but appear to have lost their will.   All organised religions are losing members in the western world where the money and power exists to make an impact.  

Anna:    Governments are proving no more effective in distributing the positive effects of wealth creation, scientific discovery and technology or in ensuring peace. Government intervention (regulation and taxation) has proved to be a blunt and often ineffective instrument for ensuring that the common good is served. Just look at the McCartney sisters seeking justice for their  murdered brother. Even the most powerful President and politicians in the western world can’t or won’t deliver they justice they deserve.