They don’t. Companies think as far as the next quarter, that’s it. Negative externalities do not exist for these people.

It’s an entire system built on perverse incentives, and those perverse incentives are all about keeping the stock price going up. Companies operate for the benefit of shareholders. Not for profit or growth or stability; those are just means to an end. The end is line go up.

The mega wealthy are literally building bunkers to ride out the collapse of civilization. That’s their long term play; emerge as kings of the ashes.