First, I want to thank the increasing number of fans who have e-mailed me about Global Reset and asked when the sequel or another novel from Nick Raybourne is coming. It is great to receive such e-mail – I absolutely encourage you to write me at nick@nickraybourne.com - and want all of you to know that another Peter Walker adventure is in the works, although I do not expect it to be published until 2010.
Almost a year ago I wrote in this blog “that we may soon be standing at the precipice of a new era,” and “my premonition of the inevitable global change that lies ahead.” Since that blog was written we have witnessed the most disturbing and violent - approaching apocalyptic - collapse of the global economy and world financial markets. Major corporations have disappeared, banks are mortally wounded and many have failed, millions of workers have lost their jobs and homes, personal assets and diligently accumulated retirement savings have been brutally wiped out, crushing the dreams of hundreds of millions of our global citizens. What is going on? Where are we heading?
Will the world economy simply rebound as so many expect and what has always been the case in the past, or are we indeed “standing at the precipice of a new era?” Our new chief executive, President Obama, the leaders of Europe, Asia and the rest of the world are all desperately trying to figure out how to deal with this – dare I use the word catastrophe? There is unfortunately no simple solution to a problem that is not properly understood.
Our country appears to seek refuge by moving in the direction of a state run economy, handing out more than a trillion dollars it doesn’t have in so called “stimulus” packages, hoping to stabilize the situation and reverse the economy’s freefall. Newton’s Third Law states in simplified terms that: “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” What will the long-term reaction be to what the U.S. is currently doing? Are we simply pushing the problem in front of us, creating an even more disastrous situation in the future? Who knows? Only time will tell, but I’m afraid we’ll be somehow paying dearly for this sooner or later.
In March last year I wrote: “These issues are increasingly moving to the forefront of the agenda of many nation states and I expect they’ll only grow in importance as we continue our journey into the 21st century...Unprecedented shift in world economic equilibrium...Will the rise of China, India and Asia lead to decline of the west?” Is the pain we are experiencing today the unavoidable consequence of an accelerating, irreversible shift in the world economic equilibrium, something much more fundamental and permanent that cannot be resolved with mind-boggling stimulus packages and desperate attempts to prop up failing economies and companies? I think so, but unfortunately have no answer or solution, except that we must first understand and come to grips with the root cause of our problems before we can map out and embark on a sustainable road to recovery. There is never an easy way out if you are broke, overweight or out of shape. It requires being brutally honest with yourself and addressing the problem with hard work, sacrifices and a long-term commitment and horizon.
I do remain optimistic but am absolutely certain that there will be more pain before we see better times. So what do we do? Individually we cannot influence the health of the world economy and the incomprehensible global dynamics that are creating havoc in our lives. We can, however, focus on our family and friends and try to lead healthy, stress-free lives, and achieve pleasure by simply being together and enjoy what we have. Why not go for some personal adventures, take some risks in life and pursue a few of your unrealized dreams? Turn the TV off, get off the couch and do some things you haven’t done before!
Until next time...
-Nick
