A crucible is defined as a severe trial in which different elements interact leading to the creation of something new. That definition may well be the best description of what we face and what will happen in the remainder of the 21st century. It is accurate to predict the humanity that entered this century will bear little resemblance to the humanity that emerges at the end, providing we are still here.
Going forward let’s look at some information to help us understand what we face, things we normally don’t consider or think about. First, the human population continues to grow and put pressure on resources, environments, political, economic, and social systems causing instability that will probably increase for most the remainder of this century.
If you draw a circle around China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Japan you have defined where more than 3.8 billion of the Earth’s 7.7 billion people live. This amounts to more than 50% of the human race living in an area smaller than the United States and Canada combined.
Obviously, this has momentous implications for everyone on planet Earth. Add to that over half of the human race lives on about 1% of the planet’s land. We are concentrated in small areas which raise questions about our vulnerability to all the potential hazards we face.
China and the Far East were the most advanced part of our planet for many centuries prior to the rise of Europe. China, Korea, and Japan possessed technology and weaponry far in advance of anything in Europe. In fact, China was on the cusp of launching the industrial revolution 500 years before Europe, but instead, it turned inward, stopped contact with foreigners, and stopped innovating because they decided they represented perfection and nothing, but crude barbarians existed beyond their borders and shores. It has taken more than a hundred years to awaken the giant and get it back on its feet. Today China is poised to assume a leading role once more.
Over the past 40 or more years we’ve watched as first Japan and then South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Brunei joined the rich nations while China, Malaysia, Thailand…
