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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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....
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The haves and have-nots: Trouble in Slavelandia
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...
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How can you protect your medical privacy?
The Health Information Privacy and Accountability Act of 2003 – HIPAA – offers basic, but not complete, protection of your medical records. Take these extra steps to ensure you’re shielding your medical records from thieves and peepers. Under HIPAA, your health care provider can share your medical records. Give your provider a written statement that...
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Your medical data is a hot commodity
There’s a hot new commodity on the market: individuals’ medical records, available literally for pocket change. It’s not only legal, but it’s a thriving industry. In fact, McKinsey & Co. forecasts that the trade in medical data will be a $10-billion annual industry by 2020, driven largely by health agencies’ conversion to electronic medical records...
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Hard lessons in taking a stand, making lasting change
As the year ended, anti-Apartheid legend Nelson Mandela passed on. In rejoicing over the freedom of his people, Mandela once said: “The UN took a strong stand against apartheid; and over the years, an international consensus was built, which helped to bring an end to this iniquitous system. But we know too well that our...
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The global financial crisis lingers. Moving forward under the current systems and structures ensures that general economic conditions will continue to deteriorate, the gap between rich and poor will widen, and the populism and class warfare trends we’ve forecast will accelerate. In 2014, a collective consciousness will firmly take root across the globe, one that...