Integral Opportunities
We are starting out this year with a sizable crisis, rooted in the cultural economic environment that has been growing for years. We are not in the Great Depression, nor are we in financial and economic downturns of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s. There is nothing conventional that will address or resolve the major problem of today. We need to think deeper, harder and faster and stretch our comfort levels when dealing with uncertainty, complexity and the unconventional … because the current situation is definitely uncertain, complex and will require unconventional approach to resolve.
This crisis provides the unprecedented opportunity to positively influence the complex nature of an economically, and increasingly politically, globalized world. Globalization is here to stay. Like the Sun, globalization can nurture us or burn us, depending on how we choose interact with it. A healthy relationship with globalization entails understanding its economic, cultural, social, political, environmental and psychological networks and the dynamic intricacies that weave it together. This understanding will provide a platform that enables globalization to be handled with sophisticated thinking and honest dialog, minimizing the impact of fear mongering and primitive protectionist sentiments.
A place to start is to look at the macro problems as connected. In the United States, the "financial crisis" is connected with the "healthcare crisis", which in turn is connected to the "social security crisis", which impacts the looming "unemployment crisis", which influences the "environmental crisis", which feeds the "financial crisis". Addressing one of these crises in isolation will create greater problems in the near future.
The predominate thinking that is going into fixing the global financial crisis is irrelevant. One of the contributors to the current global economic situation was that decision-makers did not understand risks inherent in complex globalized economies. Even though these same decision-makers advocated and promoted globalization, they did not appreciate the integral networks of information, commerce and culture developed over the last twenty years. They continue to demonstrate their lack of understanding by looking backwards (e.g., towards the Great Depression) for examples to base present and future decisions. We are not in the Great Depression, nor will we ever be again… that time is long gone. The problems and challenges we are faced today need to be addressed looking forward, with thoughtfulness and vision.
Enough with the "What-would-some-historical-figure-do?" conversations, we cannot afford to look back at one plausible historical narrative (learn from history, but do not theorize on it). We need to amass a global dialog on the multiple futures of the entire planet and conjure a dynamic vision. This vision should reflect the idea that the future should play a more important role than the past concerning present decision-making.
Originally published February 15, 2009