Society

Chancellor: A catastrophic failure of risk control

5 Jun 2020

Dependency on risk models may be leading policymakers astray in handling the pandemic, just as such models did ahead of the financial crisis. If “risk societies” are to prosper, they must apply large doses of common sense to avoid the groupthink that hinders smart decisions.

The “Trump option” still has value for U.S. CEOs

4 Jun 2020

Corporate chiefs who left White House councils in 2017 are speaking up again over racial injustice. Their ability to challenge the president is constrained, since they still need help on trade and other issues. The value of being inside the tent, though, is less than it was.

Viewsroom: Not the same as it ever was

4 Jun 2020

After the Covid-19 pandemic has passed, will we still shake hands, ride elevators, go to sports matches and go on dates? Will taxes surge to pay for massive government budget deficits? Breakingviews editors chew over some highlights from their new e-book on what will change.

American CEOs have huge power. They can use it

2 Jun 2020

Leaders like JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon support calls for racial justice. Most businesses can do more though, financially and in their workforces. Even if it’s not their job to fix society, U.S. norms and pliant shareholders give executives wide latitude to do what they think best.

Only losing users will get Zuckerberg’s attention

2 Jun 2020

Facebook workers and civil rights groups criticized the social network’s hands-off approach to President Trump’s inflammatory posts. Its co-founder says he’s listening, but Zuckerberg has little incentive to act. Covid-19 has boosted the company, and reduced employees’ leverage.

Once in a lifetime is our hopeful prediction

2 Jun 2020

Humanity either learns key lessons from the pandemic, corrects course and becomes a more resilient species. Or it tears further apart and expands the divisions in society that predated Covid-19. In a new e-book on what will change, Breakingviews takes the more optimistic view.

E-book: Once in a Lifetime?

2 Jun 2020

Humanity either learns key lessons from the pandemic, corrects course and becomes a more resilient species. Or it tears further apart and expands the divisions in society that predated Covid-19. In a new e-book on what will change, Breakingviews takes the more optimistic view.

Clashes are facet of U.S. “exorbitant privilege”

1 Jun 2020

Unrest over racial injustice does nothing for a country already divided and struggling with disease. Yet it takes more to unseat a superpower. America is no longer the only one, but it still has unrivaled heft. The downside: limited pressure to tackle economic or social problems.

Cities exodus will be more fringe than fashion

1 Jun 2020

Covid-19 and its lockdowns have left many urbanites yearning for more space. Technology makes it easier to contemplate working from a hamlet than after past pandemics. But a mass shift to the ‘burbs and beyond requires a lot of investment to overcome a dearth of infrastructure.

Protests may be last straw for U.S. global stature

1 Jun 2020

Unrest over police brutality has spread across America, even as President Trump ditches treaties and condemns China’s crackdown in Hong Kong. Such isolationism and hypocrisy dismays allies. It will be difficult to reclaim the moral high ground, and losing it comes at a high cost.

Civil unrest puts U.S. economy in a vicious circle

29 May 2020

Violence broke out in Minnesota after an African American man died in police custody. Minorities are disproportionately represented in U.S. Covid-19 deaths, and job losses are hitting these groups hard. Unrest may make reopening tough, making the country’s wealth gaps even worse.

Irish eyes keep smiling despite a strict lockdown

29 May 2020

Village pubs are shut until August. The Emerald Isle’s restrictions may look extreme but have kept deaths low even if unemployment has soared to near 30%. Yet with ample supplies and a clear reopening plan, Matt Damon isn’t alone in finding Ireland an ideal pandemic bolthole.

Economic distancing is sad sequel to social kind

27 May 2020

Coronavirus has struck disproportionately as a disease of the poor. The human tragedy has been especially stark in dense, unequal places like New York. As economic distancing sets in, the gap is going to widen further between black and white, urban and suburban, north and south.

Vegan boom is heading for a meat-fuelled bust

26 May 2020

Sales of animal product-free food soared in May, bumping up shares in the likes of Beyond Meat. Viral outbreaks at slaughterhouses suggest vegan supply chains are more durable. But as beef giant Tyson cuts prices and a slump looms, appetite for pricier foods could wane.

Corona Capital: Texas bank merger

26 May 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Texas Capital and Independent Bank ditched their almost $3 bln deal as Covid-19 played havoc with oil-and-gas loans. It is, at least, a mutual decision.

Big Elevator faces a cable-free race to the top

26 May 2020

Social distancing is accelerating the ascent of next-generation lifts from Otis, Thyssen, Kone and Schindler. Powered by magnets, cars will whizz round a circuit like a vertical bullet train rather than shuttling passengers up and down a rope. Eat your heart out, Roald Dahl.

New data will track reopening in real time

21 May 2020

Plenty of financial-market information is available instantaneously, but economic metrics can be months out of date. In the ongoing pandemic, that has proved too slow. Novel sources like Klaviyo's online spending tracker and TomTom's traffic flows may have staying power.

Viewsroom: Reopening after the pandemic

21 May 2020

Major economies like Italy and Switzerland are attempting to return to normal, but with notable differences, as columnists in both countries discuss. And Sharon Lam in Hong Kong talks about the future of leisure and business travel with Global Editor Rob Cox.

Icky cash gets shove towards eventual obsolescence

20 May 2020

Lockdowns and fear of contamination have made banknotes less relevant. Such habits will stick. Although central banks won’t yet call time on cash, misgivings over handing too much power to private payment players mean the stars are aligning for government-backed digital money.

Handshake will be relic of a more trusting time

19 May 2020

Finance will be different after Covid-19, and not just because the disease turned markets and economies upside down. Social shifts that outlast the pandemic – as simple as the reluctance to shake hands – will eat at trust. That’s the last thing a misanthropic Wall Street needs.