A professor of mine teaching film students the economic theories of Lester Thurow back in 1991 said in the coming information age, ideas were king and the dumb will get dumber while the smart will get smarter. Thurow introduced the world to the Zero Sum Game of finance philosophizing how hundreds of trillions of dollars in worthless credit derivatives are coming from somewhere leaving nothing in its wake. While this world casino bucket shop will continue to drain investment and the bulk of the globe’s professionals nurse their 401ks with hedge fund milk and special interests continue to blind and bind our leaders; what hope is there for America to grow? Its seas will no doubt shrink our coast lines, tornados and hurricanes no doubt will continue to devastate through climate change. But in the midst of all this expected decline one thing that may save us all will continue to rise inevitably; as Cicero put it, liberty is the empowerment of the individual. The champions of democracy have and will continue to awaken, and as PhD researcher Annick Witt points out, “… the rise of the culture of contemporary spirituality is a pivotal part of the gradual but profound change taking place in the Western worldview, both reflecting the larger cultural development, as well as giving shape and direction to it.”. The Occupy Movement may yet make specific demands, and a real 2008 Obama could yet emerge. America will usher in the long awaited Age of Aquarius.
