Welcome to the world of Income Inequality. Today the phrase seems to be on everyone’s lips — Democrats, Republicans, conservatives and radicals, millionaires, billionaires, the broadcast talking heads — and all over your browser and Twitter feed. President Obama has proclaimed Income Inequality “the defining challenge of our time,” and made it clear that Democrats will use it as a political...
Trendpost
While there may be “growing populism” among voters in the U.S., compared to Europe, India, Thailand and other nations where it is surging, populism is not a significant trend. Whenever the seeds of an uprising have taken root in the U.S., the public face of protest has been quickly and skillfully controlled by law enforcement. Look no further than the...
Populism is powerful and growing — but it’s not everywhere
Your life is storybook-perfect. Contentment nourishes your soul and permeates the world around you. You love your job. You earn more money than you ever imagined possible and have accumulated more wealth than you’ll ever need. You have the perfect family, too. The ties that bind you and your spouse are as romantically strong as when you first met. And...
Trendpost
Those seeking political advantage by directing attention at Income Inequality are likely to face unintended consequences. It is one thing to struggle for survival, suspecting the game is rigged, and quite another to have your face rubbed in it. Even the least politically aware citizens will come to understand that it’s not just their problem, a result of bad luck,...
Shape of the future: Global Chinatown
Not too long ago, the 20th century was called “The American Century.” Not only was Uncle Sam the world’s military superpower from the end of World War II through the next several decades, he was an unstoppable economic heavyweight. But after years of squandering the nation’s precious human, scientific, technological and economic resources on waging costly, never-ending wars — Cold...
Trendpost
Flush with cash and building its military strength, China 2014 is not the Japan of 30-plus years ago. There are no comparisons between the Chinese businesses buying up worldwide assets today and Japan’s flash-in-the-pan meteoric economic rise and fall of the 1980s. As the world’s number two economy, and growing, China will continue to purchase valuable assets and precious resources...
The rise of the Boomer Renaissance
You already know that a number of economic dynamics are forcing aging boomers to entirely rethink retirement and stay in the workforce far longer than they had expected to. And, of course, you know that our longer lifespans have all but obliterated traditional thinking about when it’s time to call it quits. But what is less apparent is the way...
One man’s tale of courage and self-realization
Meet Stanley Blum. He’s 94 years old. He survived the Great Depression, World War II and 35 years in the shoe industry. Today — as a poet, painter and seeker — Blum has finally manifested his true inner self. He is engaged in a creative whirlwind of self-discovery that took off at age 80 and grows more textured and vibrant...
Trendpost
Outsourcing for boomers: The extended work force is here to stay. Freelancing is expected to grow sharply in the immediate years ahead. Opportunities are ripe for boomers, including writers, artists, information technology experts, market analysts, educators and financial experts. More and more boomers will enter this arena. Community causes: Community causes that are supported by organized groups, foundations and events...
Older adults come of age in social media
Not long ago, older folks were ridiculed as being technologically too clueless to program the clock on a DVD player. Now people 55 and older are the fastest-growing group adopting social media: more than 43 percent of Americans 65 and older are using Facebook and its cohorts, compared to just 1 percent in 2008. The Pew Internet and American Life...