Here is a link to a blog I've just done for global brief: https://globalbrief.ca/2022/04/missing-intelligence/
Sometimes we understand systems and organisations best not through what they say or what they do, but rather through what they do not say and what they do not do. There are many examples. But here is one that is very relevant to anyone working in the fields of government or international affairs, and may help to explain why they are so often a lot less smarter than they could be, why so many struggled with the pandemic, and why so many are ill-prepared for climate action.
Let us start by taking a look at the list of the most capitalized companies on the planet. In January this year, the list looked like this: Apple, Microsoft, Saudi Aramco, Alphabet, Amazon, Tesla and Meta.
What is striking about this list? One is an oil company. However, all of the others are digital companies – essentially based on data and knowledge. None is a bank. None is a car company (except, partly, Tesla). None is attached to a particular sector like food or education or health.....
