Global Trap

Abstract

This book presents a most readable perspective on economic and social trendsin the coming century. Though retaining a European focus throughout, the materialspans the world and supports arguments that are of relevance to individualsin whichever continent they may live. The authors describe an incessant marchtoward globalization in finance and industry, a march that is forcing politicalchange upon a Europe that is simply unprepared, a march toward the GlobalTrap.Opening the book, the reader finds himself in San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel,an oasis of luxury in a desert of mere wealth, where the world’s leading thinkersand elder statesmen have gathered to discuss the future of our planet for anappropriate fee. A most plausible economic horror story follows. In the not-toodistantfuture, machines will replace humans in so many spheres of industry thatthere will be sufficient work for only 20 percent of the developed world’s population.In this 2080 society the 20 percent shall surround themselves with electronicsecurity and wire fences and the 80 percent will be doped with welfarepayments, trivial game shows, and other such “tittytainment.” Amusing catchphrasesspice Global Trap, trivializing yet somehow succeeding in summarizinga whole worldview. One immediately recognizes “MacWorld versus Jihad”as the much predicted confrontation between free market capitalism and Islam.The authors’ main concerns are expounded in a serious manner. They discussthe nature of the massive modem conglomerate whose control lies beyond thereach of national government. Moving their production to the least expensivelocations, these seemingly anonymous entities by default produce their wares inthose countries where environmental protection and employee rights are at aminimum. In another discussion, one’s attention is turned to the speculatorwhose activity impacts upon so many significant areas of modem life.Much attention is paid to the rapidly widening gap between the rich world andthe poor world, a gap which threatens the survival of both. In a sobering portrayalof one possible European future, the barriers are raised against floods ofcheap imports and of immigrants wishing’that they too could share the livingstandards of the rich world. But the immigrant finds himself in the midst of adifferent kind of economic nightmare, a world in which life on a human scale isno longer possible or profitable. in which the individual is enslaved in mortgagedebt, works at maximum output, or, does not work at all. Feeling that they nolonger have a voice in their own destiny, the indigenous population turns towardradical political solutions, toward the protectionist, the xenophobe, and the fascistDoes any of this sound familiar? Of course, the genre of doom and gloom hasa long pedigree, but this is not intellectual pornography for those awaiting theend of the world. There is little, if any, wild extrapolation of current trends inorder to predict future despair. Instead, the authors present well-researched factto support their forecast of what might be if solutions are not found in time ...