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Since corporations and governments are staffed by human beings, it's no surprise that corporate and governmental decisions are marked by the same shortsightedness that we've been warned of ever since Aesop told the tale of the grasshopper and the ant; i.e., tactical decisions for the near term rather than strategic decisions for the long term. True, some Asian corporations try to look five years into the future and certain European governments require new construction to include energy-related features that just don't pencil out at current energy prices, but those two cases are exceptions to the rule that decisions are made based upon the next quarterly statement and the most recent poll or -- in the best case -- the current fiscal year and the next election.