Are We on the Brink of Major Global Shifts with the World Social Forum Challenging Capitalism?

Dear friends,

Namaskar.

In the preceding one and a half centuries, we have seen tremendous change. Feudalism has disappeared. Imperialism has seemingly vanished. Communism emerged and then declined. International boundaries are becoming thinner, and so on. However, capitalism appears to remain steadfast. I believe the World Economic Forum represents it.

When the USSR fell in 1989, it was perceived that communism had ended (despite China having a communist government). Yet, just over a decade later, the World Social Forum emerged in the southern hemisphere. It seems to pose a challenge to the World Economic Forum.

Are further drastic changes going to occur?

Regards,
Jogeshwar.

Dear Dr. Jogeshwar,

Greetings.

In my opinion, you have posed a very thought-provoking observation. Regarding the question of whether any drastic changes may happen, my simple answer is: "In the human world, changes are bound to happen," whether they are drastic or not. Many variables, both direct and extraneous, are attributable.

If we go back in documented history, back to the Persian and Roman empires, back to Chinese dynasties, back to Egyptian domination and the mystique of the Pyramid, the Greek intellectual domination, if we look at the descent of Britain from world power and the subsequent rise of the US, if we look at Russia from the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution to the USSR to now, all these manifest that humans always create and craft change. Sometimes, 'paradigms' (a la Thomas Kuhn) are overthrown dramatically; sometimes changes creep in imperceptibly, but change is bound to happen.

Humans always need and crave improvements, and they will create change to improve. Sometimes changes destroy good things, yet change is inevitable. The important thing is to craft change to best suit human interests, both short term and long term, for present and future generations. Also, to manipulate change, however undesirable, to serve the goal of improved quality of life.

Best Regards,

Moses J. Emanuel

Humans always need and crave for improvements, and they will create change to improve. Sometimes changes destroy good things, yet change is inevitable. The important thing is to craft change to best suit human interests short-term and long-term, present and future generations. Also, to manipulate change, however undesirable, to save the goal of improved quality of life.

Best Regards, Moses J. Emanuel

Dear Emanuel,

My greetings to you from the far-off country and also excellent elaboration of the issue and focusing on the points of discussion.

In my view, the best adaptation strategy is "Learn from the past; be in the present and prepare for the future." Now the question is, what have we learned from the past? Are we adapting well at present? Are we prepared for the future? If so, then in what way?

Best regards, Jogeshwar

Balance between these two is very essential.

China is now changing at a high speed. In today's world, social philosophy is only limited to theory and talks. The enthusiasm that they had many years back (1960 - 1970) in India and many more years back in Russia is not seen today. They are only limited to do rallies. Their leaders are limited to politics.

And what to say for the industrialists and rich people? They can spend money like anything for themselves, but not proportionally for the welfare of the weaker sections. They are limited to show off.

No country can progress socially and economically if imbalance is there. The balance is important.

I am not a high-fi thinker, but I think as a normal man does. But I am really concerned for the people who are poor and socially weak.

Manu Sharma :)

Dear friends,

Namaskar.

What Manu says is the reaction to agony. Can anything be done?

Regards

Dear friends,

Namaskar.

In the preceding one and a half centuries, we have seen tremendous change. Feudalism has gone. Imperialism has apparently disappeared. Communism emerged and then receded. International boundaries are becoming thinner, and so forth. However, capitalism seems to remain steady. I believe the World Economic Forum represents it.

When the USSR fell in 1989, it was believed that communism had ended (although China still had a communist government). Just over a decade later, the World Social Forum emerged in the southern hemisphere. It appears to be a challenge to the World Economic Forum.

Is any further drastic change going to happen?

Regards,
Mahesh D