There exists a large disparity in this increasingly globalized world. Despite great strides in our medical, economic, and social spheres, we see the continued marginalization of populations around the globe. On a macro level, we see the gap between rich and poor nations growing, and on a micro level, the gap between rich and poor people. While leaders past and present may have accepted (or at minimum tolerated) this situation, the next generation has awakened. The social conscience of today’s youth, our future leaders, is slanted towards a non-acceptance of the norm. They are driving for change.
Change. A word that can invoke both joy and sadness, construction and destruction. From a political perspective, Canada shows us many examples of this cry. A Liberal majority won on a platform of positive change. Consider the tossing of a Conservative government in Alberta, where for decades you could have run a three-legged horse for the PCs and still won.
Change. Our current paradigms of perpetual artificial wealth creation and robust social networks exist on shaky ground; the youth’s social conscience exerts pressure which creates unrest amongst the remaining population. Ultimately, the great and powerful Western democracies may not prove to be sustainable in their current form.
Change. Like a chemical reaction, once started it cannot be stopped. But we can choose whether it simply makes a mess on the lab table or blows the place up.
Our neighbours to the south find themselves in this situation as they prep for the November elections. Following a popular president, they must now choose between two candidates who are considered to be poor choices from different perspectives. Choose Hilary and it’s perceived that the status quo of corporate influence, runaway spending, and ineffective non-action will continue. Choose Donald and it is anyone’s guess how (not if) he will blow the whole system up.
An effective commander-in-chief is required, both as Leader of the Free World and especially when the U.S. government creates a trillion dollars in new debt every 13 months. The first trillion dollars of debt took the U.S. federal government 205 years to accumulate. Now it takes just over a year. In fact, if interest rates were to rise to a mere five percent, the cost of debt service would exceed two-thirds of all federal income tax revenue—and that’s only interest.
While only a handful of us have an economics degree, it doesn’t take much to realize that this Western lifestyle, touted globally as the example of success, strived towards and admired by the rest of the world, simply isn’t sustainable in the long run.
Yes, we are in the twilight of the American dream, and while the sunrise tomorrow may look similar to today’s, it will be a new day with new challenges and opportunities. While the mighty 49th parallel may feel like a Canadian shield, this border is but a light gray line crisscrossed with dark black lines of integrated trade and economic dependency. The problems and challenges of our American cousins are our own.
Change. It’s coming. Thought it was here already? We’ve only seen the beginning. Like the chemical reaction bubbling over, switching to a bigger container only works for so long. Eventually the container gets too big to lift.
Hopefully the next leaders of our world are ready to let it spill and clean up the mess.
