One blueprint for trouble, making collapse likely, is where there is a conflict of interest between the short-term interest of the decision-making elites and the long-term interest of the society as a whole, especially if the elites are able to insulate themselves from the consequences of their actions. Where what's good in the short run for the elite is bad for the society as a whole, there's a real risk of the elite
一个可能导致社会崩溃的困境是：利益冲突 短期利益与长期利益的冲突。 这里是指决策制定者的短期利益与整个社会的长期利益相冲突， 尤其是当执行了这一不明智的政策后，社会整体利益受损时， 政策制定者们可以置身事外的情形下。 当某一决策可能最终造成整个社会的悲剧，但短期内政策制定者却可以从中获利时， 他们极有可能鼠目寸光，推行这一极具风险的决策。