Paul Polman and Lynn Forester de Rothschild — The Capitalist Threat to Capitalism

Winston Churchill famously observed that democracy is the worst form of government – apart from all the others that have been tried. Were he alive today, he might think the same of capitalism as a vehicle for economic and social progress.

Capitalism has guided the world economy to unprecedented prosperity. Yet it has also proved dysfunctional in important ways. It often encourages shortsightedness, contributes to wide disparities between the rich and the poor, and tolerates the reckless treatment of environmental capital.

If these costs cannot be controlled, support for capitalism may disappear – and with it, humanity’s best hope for economic growth and prosperity. It is therefore time to consider new models for capitalism that are emerging around the world – specifically, conscious capitalism, moral capitalism, and inclusive capitalism.

Project Syndicate
The Capitalist Threat to Capitalism
Paul Polman | CEO of Unilever and Lynn Forester de Rothschild is CEO of E.L. Rothschild and co-chair of the Henry Jackson Initiative for Inclusive Capitalism