Risk

Risk is another word like woke that has swindled the world.

Way back in the old days the concept of risk was devised by a marketing spin wizard. Brave heroes like Marco Polo, Columbus, Drake and Raleigh and no doubt Arab and Chinese explorers set out to find riches in undiscovered and thus unexploited parts of the world.

In those days explorers with better weaponry and technology easily prevailed over indigenous populations. In fact it was their duty to bring the True Faith to the heathens, whether they wanted it or not and morality be damned.

Nevertheless their endeavours were heavy with danger. History rarely records the unsuccessful endeavours of those who were shipwrecked or annihilated by the peoples they invaded…

Heroes and warriors attract people who are not so brave but who are clever. For a share of the explorers’ spoils they will ‘insure’ the expedition, so the loss of disaster can be ameliorated for those left at home.

So the fear of leaving families destitute if they failed was removed.

Soon insurers persuaded everyone that every risk of loss could be made less severe. Eventually, of course, it was found that every endeavour had risk and required insurance.

Governments were persuaded to legislate insurance against risk.

So the insurers started dictating how every endeavour should proceed and go about minimising risk.

Safety became a holy word that sanctified restrictions. Insurance is required and won’t be provided unless myriad steps are taken to eliminate risk.

Suddenly safety becomes very expensive causing explorers to abandon new endeavours because insurance is too expensive.

The insurers don’t care as just about every endeavour, every building, vehicle and person is now insured against risk…

So business development is stifled except for ideas with a very high profit margin that can afford all the insurances required

Now the construction of a new pedestrian walkway requires more traffic controllers than workers.

A corollary is the mindset that believes that once an endeavour is insured and premiums are paid, the correct signage is erected and appropriate safety training has been done, risk is eliminated ….

Eradicating the stranglehold that insurers have on capitalist societies will be more difficult than reversing the woke waves of the last half century!!

It is part of finding a form of beneficial government that does not include becoming a nanny to its subjects.