If businesses are only concerned about short-term profits, how can capitalism be sustainable in the long run?

It is much cheaper to cause damange to the environment, and thats all that matters- short term profits. They have this mentality that "it's someone else's problem". THerefore capitalism cannot be sustainable, and environmental problems are almost directly linked to this economic system.If businesses are only concerned about short-term profits, how can capitalism be sustainable in the long run?Capitalism has flourished and lasted longer than any other form of Government. 234 years and counting.

What is wrong with our economy can be traced to Socialism.
Supporting Socialist programs have taken its toll on Capitalism.

Capitalism made a very YOUNG country a Super Power.
This Super Power was 100 years old. Countries that were centuries old could not compete with this Capitalist country.
Capitalism promotes education.
Capitalism rewards ingenuity.
Capitalism rewards hard work and effort.
Capitalism punishes the lazy. By NOT rewarding a lack of effort.

The Capitalist country of America has the EPA. They have been in business for MANY years.

Why don't communist countries care about the environment?
They don't do anything to curb pollution.

Why don't the EU control their pollution?

Why is it that America has to make up for other countries that pollute by having stricter laws than ever before?

Why should Americans be taxed on the air we breath so China and other countries can pollute freely?


Yes other forms of Government have been around centuries longer than Capitalism.
Countries under these forms usually collapse in 100 years.



You slam your own country without knowing what other countries don't do!
For shame.If businesses are only concerned about short-term profits, how can capitalism be sustainable in the long run?
Capitalism within boundaries is sustainable. Greed and getting ahead is the motivator. It's why when you get sick there's a host of antibiotics that can come to your aid. Because some rich investors funded research for profit. It's why when you get cancer, it's not the sure death sentence it was 100 years ago. It's why you enjoy all the electronic conveniences you do. Almost everything that has improved life has been a result of competition and investing.

As flawed and imperfect as any system is, capitalism included, it is the most successful model we have. Other models have failed miserably.

Edit: I don't disagree with you that unchecked capitalism will lead to environmental ruin. But the more we sensibly regulate capitalism the better it becomes. For instance, with your Chevron example, that dumping stopped over 20 years ago and Chevron has already spent over 40 million in a clean up effort. Under a less regulated capitalism Chevron would have never stopped dumping and never made any clean up effort, but things are moving in a better direction. What they did is clearly terrible, but again, things are moving in the right direction.If businesses are only concerned about short-term profits, how can capitalism be sustainable in the long run?There are ways to have prosperity and a clean environment. China is the result of ignoring environmental issues. We have always kept things cleaner while still creating profits. Lower corporate taxes would be a big step in the right direction.

Start by getting government out of our business. We need to reduce the size of government and fast.

Crony capitalism is the problem. We have this administration giving TARP money to giants like GE just because they donated millions to the president's campaign. We have AT%26amp;T and Verizon getting billions from Obamacare for keeping quiet about it's damage to our economy. We have selected banks that got bailouts because they supported this regime.

Capitalism works fine if most regulation and government involvement is removed.If businesses are only concerned about short-term profits, how can capitalism be sustainable in the long run?
Obviously not all businesses are concerned about short term profits, which is why a lot of companies invest a lot in research and development. Also, even with short term profits, the marketplace can punish businesses that are not good stewards of the environment because people may boycott the products. Finally, government can provide strong short and long term incentives in the form of fines and credits to punish bad behavior and reward good behavior.If businesses are only concerned about short-term profits, how can capitalism be sustainable in the long run?Not all companies are. In fact, banks that did better in the recession and did not need to be bailed out were not chasing risky short term profits.

I do disagree with you, and I won't tell you that Chevron dumping toxic waste is good, because it's not, but if we all woke up tomorrow under socialism and Chevron was a state-run company, nothing would prevent Chevron from continuing to dump toxic waste. Therefore, your diatribe against capitalism is misplaced and you are ignoring the real problem.
Seems you know nothing about capitalism, which is sad for you, but not exactly a surprise.



When you work for a company, why are you so concerned about when you get your paycheck, if short-term profits aren't relevant? Companies care about today, and also 10 years from now, because they have to be. Companies plan for many, many years down the road.



wake-up.



BTW: Capitalism has been around since thge dawn of mankind, and will be here long after marxism has parished from the earth.If businesses are only concerned about short-term profits, how can capitalism be sustainable in the long run?
My dad works for an oil company, which spends more money researching alternative energy than they do producing oil. Without the oil money, they could not research and plan for the future. Capitalism is sustainable. Do you think oil companies will just cease to exist when oil is no longer important? No - because they are the leaders to the next piece of technology, to the future. Invention and ingenuity thrives under capitalism. Under capitalism, we are always moving on to better and cheaper technology.
in theory, true capitalism would be very disruptive to business.

read ayn rand - her vision of the world has businesses being shattered by new and better competitors rising to topple the old - in an ongoing cycle.

her vision of the world has business who would EMBRACE change, because they would know if they didn't they would likely be out of business shortly.

does that sound like america to you?

not to me - our government CHOOSES the winners and losers.

why else would the nation GIVE billions in tax breaks to already profitable oil companies?

why does our nation give away millions and million of acres of extremely valuable land for pennies on the dollar to oil companies that don't even have to develop it.

why did lehman brothers go out of business, but citigroup stay in business?

one got a taxpayer funded subsidy to stay in buiness, the other didn't.

unlike ayn rand's thinking - most businesses DONT embrace free enterprise and actual competition.

this is why truck and auto companies bought up the railroads in the early part of the 20th century and drove them into bankruptcy - to destroy a competitor in a completely non-competitive way.

the truth is most business DOESN'T EMBRACE TRUE CAPITALISM and seek monopolies, which used to be illegal in america.

this is why in the ayn rand vernacular, most corporations are 'looters.'

right wingers and corporate raiders who don't want to pay tax or be regulated quote ayn rand selectively the same way insane preachers quote the bible to justify just about any insane action they are about to take.

most business in america has no idea what life would be like in a truly competitive market, where they weren't propped up by govt subsidies and tax credits and outright grants.If businesses are only concerned about short-term profits, how can capitalism be sustainable in the long run?
Actually, environmental problems are directly linked to Industry, not capitalism.
Even in a hypothetical nation operated under pure Marxist communism, Industry would still function and expand. My fear is that many environmentalists believe a transfer of control from private to public will reduce ecological destruction. I don't think it will.
Our wastefulness and consumerism are the plagues of our society.
No matter who is in control, or under what motivation, as long we desire stupid plastic crap and strip malls, we will be supporting the death of Nature.
That is why capitalism needs to be carefully regulated as to not deplete resources and destroy the environment.



There is nothing inherently evil about finance capital. It can be a good thing if used properly by responsible businesses.



But we must demand responsibility from them, not let them run loose like used car salesmen.
Your premise is flawed. Most businesses are NOT concerned with short term gains. Most businesses are concerned with the concerns of their investors. Most investors are interested in long term performance.



Where do you get these false ideas?
Even though we have cleaner air and water than ever and we are the most effecient users of energy in man's history. Please, give examples of all the enviromental technological advancements that have come out of non capitalist countries.
I'm an economist, and I have to respectfully say that this argument makes no sense whatsoever.
I think it's more of a human problem because most people like to live in the now
This is the most convoluted argument against capitalism I have ever read
Oh boy, here we go again! Mayhaps you can give us some concrete examples.
Screw the environment!
It could without Rino"s and democrats
Knowledge manipulation. Get people to vote against their own interests
You've just explained American economic since the Civil War.



Any economic system which deeps a recession every six or seven years just par for the course is inherently unstable and unsustainable.



But, so long as stockholders get paid, screw the rest of the country, eh?
Because the folks stuffing their own pockets with cash will be dead by the time we figure out that they've poisoned us. They are aware of that fact, hence, they do not care.