Posted 19th November 2011
We stand at an inflection point in history and western civilisation faces a critical choice: Revolution or Evolution.
Jared Diamond’s “Collapse” analyses factors which caused civilisations to collapse in the past. The factors are relatively few (environmental challenges, external threats or loss of a supporting neighbour, internal disintegration etc.) but what distinguished civilisations which collapsed from those which survived, was the reaction to these threats. Universally, those that collapsed were led by an elite which became increasingly remote from the majority and instituted selfish, short term policies to protect themselves from the perceived threats. Meanwhile the populace suffered hardship, famine, and increased suppression. Sound familiar? Recent, less acute examples, are the French, Russian Revolutions and the rise of China’s communist party (Stalin’s headcount of victims was some 30 million and Mao Tse Tung’s 35 million).
This is what we’re heading for and whether or not you are a short term beneficiary of the current economic system, it would be wise to understand the fundamental root cause of economic turmoil and other global problems.