3 Decades in 364 Words:
A Guide for the Perplexed
By Shlomo  Maital   
  
     The world has become a chaotic, complex system, hard to understand, impossible to predict.  Here in 300 words is a vestpocket history since 1989 –hope it will help.
      On Nov. 9 1989 the Berlin Wall fell.  This led to the rapid unification of the two Germany’s (note: this can also happen to the 2 Korea’s, equally fast), which accelerated the European Union, and marks the onset of true globalization – free movement of ideas, capital, labor, goods, services and information across borders. 
       Globalization created massive wealth for a handful smart enough to take advantage.  It created unprecedented growth for China and other Asian nations; for Germany to some extent; for India, and some poor countries.  But most poor nations were left out, especially those in Africa. 
        Capitalism broke down.  Great wealth bought political influence, and corruption became rampant, in Russia,  and elsewhere.   The huge canyon between rich and poor led desperate people in corrupt nations (Mideast, Africa, some Central and Latin American countries) to migrate, at risk of life and limb, toward the wealth.  Meanwhile, in many countries democracy regressed.  The EU pushed union too far, seeking to unify politically, leading to widespread pushback and Britain’s exit.  The flood of migrants to Europe threatened the foundations of European unity. 
      In the ongoing historical cycle, the wave of democracy that swept the world after WWII,  and during globalization,  began to retreat, as corruption, influence of money and wealth disparities led democracy to break down in many places that tried it.  The Arab Spring became the Mideast winter.  Russia, China and other nations seemed to entrench leaders permanently.   Globalization receded.
       Even America, a bastion of democracy,  regressed under Trump, embracing the backlash of the white minority against migrants.  Trump’s “trade wars are good” reflects abysmal ignorance of the last Great Trade War, 1933, that brought a world depression.  Italy’s election tomorrow will focus not on key issues (economy, jobs) but on Italy’s 650,000 migrants.   In my country Israel, a right-wing government seeks to illegally expel African migrants, against their will.
      This cycle will play itself out.  We will eventually return to democracy and globalization will again grow and spread.  We will find ways to include poor nations left out of the global system.  Racist ignorant leaders will be deposed.  We are seeing signs everywhere of an uprising, of young people taking responsibility.  Take a long view of history and remain hopeful.

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A brief p.s.     In May, if sufficient numbers register,  I will offer a one-week course on How to Change the World With Ideas, at a beautiful spot in northern Greece.  If this interests you, check out:   http://unboundprometheus.com/program-one/