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 A magazine of forecasts, trends, and ideas about the future. July-August 2006, Vol. 40, No. 4 |
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About This
Issue Are You Bullish on the Tiger or the Dragon? India and China's phenomenal economic growth has the world's business community scurrying to gauge both countries' prospects for the future. Which nation will deliver a bigger bang for an investment buck? At least for the short term, China's "dragon" appears to be a winner, as it transforms its economy from agriculture to one based on manufacturing and innovation. India's "tiger" is further along in the development of a knowledge economy, however, and has the advantage of a democratic culture that could prove more enticing to long-term investment, according to forecasters Marvin J. Cetron and Owen Davies. (See "The Dragon vs. the Tiger: China and India Reshape the Global Economy.") Economic growth is not without pain and peril, and to create an economy that husbands the planet's resources will require wiser planning now, says agricultural economist Lester R. Brown, president of Earth Policy Institute. In this issue, Brown outlines a clear path toward a sustainable economy—one that acknowledges the ecological costs of development. (See "Rescuing a Planet Under Stress.") The issues that Brown addresses are complex and controversial, so THE FUTURIST invited commentaries from several respected scholars and policy analysts: ecological economics professor Robert Costanza, political scientist Mark Blyth, economist Xiao-yuan Dong, and Latino studies professor Manuel Pastor Jr. Meanwhile, the rapid transformation of society into an increasingly automated and roboticized one is creating unique psychological and cultural disruptions, reminiscent of economies built on slave labor, according to business futurist Arnold Brown. As we increase our productivity through slave-robots, will we lose our humanity? (See "The Robotic Economy.") Click to order the July-August 2006 issue of THE FUTURIST. Order the July-August 2006 issue or join the World Future Society for $49 per year ($20 for students) and receive THE FUTURIST, Futurist Update, and many other benefits. Send comments about our web pages to: webmaster@wfs.org |
