Resilience and Challenges

The West would not necessarily be unable to cope with changes in the future. Resilience of a society can be more important than its wealth. Wealth does fortify economic resilience but not necessarily on other fronts. Resilience can be strengthened in the way society is organised ( informally and formally); cultural attitudes; recognition of her Achilles heels and doing something effective about it; and having a foresighted leadership. Most nations are still reckoning with lack of pre-emptive planning, effective risk management, business continuity preparation and forward thinking. What happens when one loses demand for a produce or product which has previously built up a society? Are the key institutions in my country remnants of 20th century needs rather than tools for a changed future? Some nations used to rule the waves but have not fully embraced the realities of increasing competition. Some societies have been in the comfort zone for too long and perhaps lost the hunger to constantly improve. Yet others are obsessed with other drivers that distract with building up their resilience. What had made particular nations wealthy in the past may no longer be relevant. Failure in adopting sufficient technology, political willingness, independent security, investments and strategic advantage to propel forward are telling signs of national erosion. Leaving critical fronts like relevant education, ownership of vital societal assets and outsourcing to the so called free market forces can be a capitulation of governmental responsibilities to commercialisation. Growth of wealth also exposes a society to new vulnerabilities and dependancies. The sustainability and growth of wealth has a cost to pay for never ending GDP growth and consumer spending. I take for granted how my fast accessibiity to data and information or digital payments relies on the internet, data centres and wifi always working. Greater mobility in air, sea and land travel is paid for by environmental pollution. The energy grid breaks down when demand spikes everywhere all at the same time in a society. There is a hidden cost to upholding how modern societies work. Such dependencies are increasingly controlled by the growing few who and which can manipulate the world with greater ease, funding and connections. Humans cannot escape interactions with so called Nature. Technological advances seem to be the forte of the human mind and capability. Depletion of natural resources, climate change and biological interference are just some examples of the downside. Global wealth enhancement has also come from increased linkages in trade, finance, supplies and dependencies. Globalisation can be a two edged sword in all meanings of the phenomenon. Does it require a hierarchy of varying levels of development in different societies to sustain and drive the growth of wealth? Lower labour costs in less developed societies were what made massive manufacturing hubs work. With AI, robotics and advanced mechanics already working, the equation can leave out much of human input. Are extensive channels of migration revitalising Western societies? The lack of population growth in richer societies ( especially at below replacement levels) has had this matter mitigated partly by the arrival and settlement of foreigners. Overall, Earth has never been populated as before. At the same time, personal wealth is significantly concentrated in fewer individuals. We recall the collapse of empires, city states and nations in history due to catastrophic natural episodes, plaques, removal of trading advantages and unexpected Black Swan events. How societies are organised in governance have an impact on wealth and the ever assumed expectation of continued rise in prosperity. Politicians in most countries do not have to undergo a formal training certification or a rigourous regime of performance evaluations to reach the top. Is the contemporary state of so called Western civilisation nations ready to take on the challenges of the rest of the 21st century? The European states used the power of sailing winds to explore and utilise lands for resources, political control and cultural expansion. What is the equivalent of such sailing ships in this century? Is it a hold on modern weaponry, or holding on to an economic dominance? Is it as simple as being able to manipulate other countries as you have something that most other nations do not? #yongkevthoughts