Alessandro Magnoli Bocchi Quotes

"The state needs to enable the markets, but - contrary to the dreams of planners and technocrats - development cannot be ‘state-managed’. For the business environment to lead to innovation, the state needs to protect ‘public goods’ such as: 1) competition; and more broadly 2) the entrepreneurial spirit. Policymakers must achieve a practical, dynamic balance in the state-market mix".

"From Athens’ ‘Thirty Tyrants’ to the rise of Hitler, democracy always failed “from inside”. The shift towards authoritarianism was favored by: 1) rapidly changing contexts; 2) inept rulers; and 3) weak institutions".

"Almost as if it were a new religion, we need to start rewarding those who create added value and take up the responsibilities required by their role in the community". Original quote: "Quasi fosse una nuova religione, bisogna iniziare a premiare chi crea valore aggiunto, assumendosi le responsabilità richieste dal proprio ruolo nella collettività".

"The state must set the framework for the markets to function (...) but in the long run, innovation needs a competitive private sector".

"The future is not a straight-line-projection of the past. Yet, most people - even scientists - think in linear, cause-effect patterns. The real world works differently: events follow discontinuous random walks, not predictable trends. At best, we can only assess the ‘likelihood of forthcoming events’. A rule-based approach is often misleading; to forecast future developments, we need probabilistic - rather than deterministic – thinking".

"We need to learn how to manage ‘non-linear feedback loops’, ‘quantum jumps’, and the unpredictable consequences any event can bring about".

"Tackling ‘population aging’ - especially in high-income countries, where the median age is above 40 - requires: 1) acknowledging that most pension systems are financially unsustainable; and 2) reducing the resources allocated to the most sizeable share of the electorate - the elderly".

"Largely unnoticed, megatrends transform the way we live and work. Preoccupied by our daily worries, we tend to overlook the irreversible forces that shape our life. In the past, the printing-press and the telephone forever changed human communication. Combustion and electricity revolutionized energy management. Going forward, the unfolding of similar ‘transformative, disruptive shifts’ will reshape society, business and the global economy".

"When designed and implemented correctly, ‘conditional financing’ can: 1) steer resources towards the strategic objectives; 2) avoid speculative capture, by ensuring the productive use of public resources; and 3) push the private sector towards inclusive, sustainable growth".

"Change is needed. In the absence of bold decisions, rising inequality will foster populism and nationalism, putting democracy at risk".

"We need to understand and resolve discontent, preventing valid social issues from falling into nationalism". Original quote: "Bisogna capire e risolvere lo scontento, evitando che valide istanze sociali cadano nel nazionalismo".

"Enlightened, quantum policymaking has an important role to play. Yet, ‘classical physics’ still shapes our way of learning. Cause-effect, linear thinking should be abandoned. To better understand our complex world, we must say “Bye” to Newton".

"In public policy, dependencies and unintended consequences matter. For example, ‘climate change’ and ‘population aging’ are key drivers of migration and cannot be ignored when designing immigration policies. Also, ‘deforestation’ not only leads to ‘global warming’, but also drives wild animals closer to humans - increasing the likelihood of viral infections, via ‘cross-species leaps’. As a result, most decisions cannot be taken in isolation: solving problems in one place is likely to create new ones, elsewhere. Also, well-intentioned policy choices can often provide perverse incentives - and obtain the opposite of their stated objectives. The phenomenon is known as the “cobra effect”: in India, during British rule, the authorities’ bounty on dead cobras resulted in a larger cobra population. In other words, policy making: 1) relies on a complex, interrelated context; and 2) can lead to unpredictable, non-linear outcomes".

"‘Greening the economy’ is likely to be as challenging: every year governments across the world subsidize fossil-fuels (coal, oil, gas) for an amount equivalent to Japan’s GDP, produce electricity by burning them, and authorize the chopping to ‘non-forest use’ of an area the size of Belgium".

"Every day, 1) ‘simple systems’ become complex: for example, a village becomes part of a city; and 2) ‘complex systems’ become more complex: for instance, financial markets embrace machine learning. Often, an increase in complexity leads to unintended consequences".