Then I thought about the recent news that I read from the daily business newspaper that I subscribe to. Here are the 4 front page news:
1. The Euro Zone countries are trying to bail out bankcrupt Greece (not because they will get benefits from doing so, but because the consequence for not doing it is even more grave)
2. New York just escaped an attempted terrorist attack (not because of intelligence, but because of luck - the bomb did not explode)
3. US stock market had the biggest volatility in history (partially due to Greece problem, but mostly due to unregulated internet trading chain reaction)
4. Deep sea oil spill due to a massive explosion in BP oil rig threatens devestation in the ecosystem and the economy near Louisiana (and no solutions in sight)
Within a week, so many human-made problems at such grand proportions happened, and yet, for all of them, solutions do not exist or are just in the early stages of being thought of. Something is seriously wrong with this picture.
Let me talk a bit more about it. As the massive economic and environmental damages of the BP oil leak continues (As I write, it is going on to the third week), BP is just starting to discuss how to stop the leaking 1 km underwater. Today's article said that BP will TRY to use a chemical oil dispersant (not sure if it is going to work - and don't ask me what it means). In the mean time, in another news article, it is said that BP has a record double digit growth of profit for 2009! But wait a minute - if I am allowed to rob and not go to jail, I also will have record profit!
On another point. The US stock exchange has no explanation to the recent biggest one day market volatility in history (for example, P&G stock went down by 30% for no reason and jumped back up again within a few hours). The US government are now beginning to think about the regulation to prevent it. In the mean time I read somewhere else that traders are upgrading their systems so that they can be the fastest in "clicking" buy or sell, as if their finger muscle are able to do those clicks in nano seconds. I find it moronic that we have billions of dollars at stake being controlled by these brainless and reckless minds.
On another subject: As the Greek bankrupcy problem continues, no one really can give a great solution to Europe Union other than ideas to "minimize damage". After a couple of weeks urgent meetings and discussions, the European Union governments have decided to put up a "defense" money of USD 1 trillion - to shoo away all the speculators. It is a big relief that at least the governments are able to pull together the 1 Trillion dollar protection - but it is like a huge aspirin for a fever, without solving the problem that cause the fever. The main question is how could EU, the largest economy in the world, allow this problem to simmer and grow for years?
A final example: Terrorism continues to be unstoppable, even in the place like New York, where the security system is already at the highest. In the mean time the Americans are installing the highest-tech scanning machine in the airports. The jokes have it that soon enough we all be required to fly naked. In the mean time, a great article in the newspaper said that the biggest danger to the US comes from inside (radical US citizens), not outside. The US, just like the rest of the world, have not figured out how to solve the terrorism problem.
So finally I do agree that it is a mad world - a self inflicted madness. It is time for the world to slow down! It seems that we have reached this point in our 100 years of industrialization, liberalization and globalization blitz that we are unable to grasp and control the complexity that comes with it. We are like a little boy who just realized that he can balance on the bike, so without delay, he decided to go to the street. Soon enough he realize that he still does not know how to turn, how to break and how to get off the bike when it stopped.
The events that has happened and may still happen in the near future are serious warning signs. It will continue to humble us, gently and roughly until we learn and put in place real changes in the way we do things. As an optimist I always look at things as opportunities, so I find tremendous opportunities for people who can find ways to slow down and simplify this mad world.