I would like to be a futurologist

I went to a lecture yesterday by a futurologist. He said that the only way that we will be able to restore order in the Fourth World is through recolonization. Specifically, he offered the example of Somalia. The only way in which we can curb the Fourth World's destruction to capitalism (i.e. piracy of large oil ships) is to recolonize. Otherwise they will continue to interfere, and the Western world attempts to dispose of all interfering factors to free markets, especially conflicts.

I personally find this absurb and pray that it does not happen. I believe that further influence will damage relations even more. But I am intrigued by nations that would like the benefits of being colonized by a major Western power.

Furthermore, he predicted that political unrest will continue to increase globally as economic conditions and uncertainty worsen. I do agree with this notion. It is also interesting because a friend of mine predicted that we are entering very peaceful times and that fewer wars will be waged than ever before. We are entering an age of diplomacy. I would like to believe in this optimism, but as we have seen numerous times before, economic hardship breeds mobilization, revolution and ultimately wars. Where this will happen exactly, I cannot tell you momentarily, but time will begin to reveal state weaknesses. I do believe that war will be focused on interstate conflicts rather than internal uprisings. Each state is looking to another to admit guilt in the economic crisis, but neither has. In this time, each state will be turning inward without regard for others.

History helps us to predict the future. Unfortunately, we never learn and the actions occur over and over again. While they take a new form, the outcome is always the same. Most prevalent currently is the financial situation that is reflecting the past so vividly. You wouldn't believe the numebr of times a credit crisis has occurred, specifically in imperial times when countries were waging numerous wars that they could not afford. Fortunately back then, there was world to expand into. First, Latin American helped to elude extended financial crisis and then Africa. Maybe the moon will provide resources that can improve global profitability. Also parallel to the imperial period, is the inability of states to control international dealings. Countries sent merchants, explorers, colonizers, etc. abroad in order to expand the interests of the state. However, many times these "diplomats" worked for themselves or even aided rebellions against the metropole. Today, the financial markets and banks operate in an international context that supercedes a nation's regulatory sphere. International organizations are founded to help aid this shortcoming, but they fail as well. The UN cannot secure the world, the IMF cannot fulfill the economic interests of each nation, etc.