Читать книгу Productive Economy, Contributory Economy - Genevieve Bouche - Страница 21

The 20th century ended with the establishment of “globalization”. This globalization was characterized by a hyperspecialization of geopolitical zones. It was established by the world’s high finance, which considered that all people had the same needs: food, housing, clothing and health care, but that certain areas should be more dedicated to design and others to production and the resulting social and environmental pollution. This model no longer makes sense with robotization, the dissemination of knowledge or the fight against pollution, etc.

Little by little, each geopolitical zone begins to produce its own airplanes and yogurts and grows its middle class.

Nevertheless, with the development of digital technology, we are witnessing the emergence of supranational structures that control the data of humanity and are preparing to control its monetary and ideological flows.

This is becoming a concern, and naturally we see the popular reaction mobilizing around the notion of sovereignty. Each geographical area has its own history, its own vision of the world and its own desire for autonomy.

In terms of digital technology, several areas are beginning to emerge, although digital seems culturally transnational. With 20 years of practice, we are beginning to see a fragmentation in the way it is conceived and used. These ways reflect our deep perceptions of life: utilitarian America, Confucian China, Stoic Europe, while other areas are marked by animistic thinking.

For the moment, the United States is attached to its model of individual freedom. The Chinese accept that the individual has no weight in relation to the interests of the community. As for Europeans, they are attached to the idea that everyone has rights and duties with respect to the community. They are becoming aware that a prosperous community allows each individual to prosper. The younger generations understand the need to get involved in the life of their community, their profession, their political party, their church and that they must contribute to culture and the development of knowledge. They are concerned about digital technology, which is a vector of fake news. An all-digital world, such as it was imposed during the periods of confinement, disgusts them. They aspire to a digital world that makes their lives easier and in which they have confidence.

The utilitarianism of American culture has given rise to consumerism, and this consumerism no longer brings the satisfaction it promised. For more lasting satisfaction, it is better to turn to activities that develop self-esteem. This is a trend that is emerging in the younger generations around the world.

Europe is the corner of the planet that laid the foundations of the Western model. But it has dominated the world for five centuries, accumulating some resentments, and these resentments are at work to move the world forward. These resentments arrive in particular via digital technology, and it must protect itself from them, which does not exempt it from dealing with them through diplomatic and cultural actions.