Unions (union members) need to buy the majority of stock in many startups and small companies in many different countries and make the decisions as well as benefit from capital gains and dividends. This may do a lot to increase wage rates in many developing countries over time. This may help get many better trade agreements adopted.

Many governments need to significantly increase the power of shareholders. Shareholders need to be better able to reduce executive pay and eliminate bonuses. Shareholders need to be better able to increase their dividends. Shareholders need to be better able to get back executive pay and benefits already paid out when they were not based on accurate numbers. Shareholders need to be better able to fire executives and boards of directors.

Many governments and businesses need to work together a lot better to figure out ways to make things while polluting our water, our air, and our land less. Many governments and businesses need to work together to figure out ways to deal with existing trash and future trash.

Many governments and businesses need to think of many different ways to increase the amount of drinking water we have.

Congress should have learned from the savings and loans crisis that regulation is important. Congress should have required down payments on homes and fixed rate mortgages. Allowing mortgage backed securities to be sold based on no money down mortgages was nuts.

Many countries may want to back their currencies with gold, silver, and many other commodities.

The less underground an economy is the more revenues that governments may be able to obtain from sales taxes and income taxes. Governments need to legalize, regulate, and tax the sale of marijuana, heroin, and cocaine for people who are at least 18 years old to reduce the harm caused by violent criminal gangs. If the United States of America and Mexico legalize, regulate, and tax the sale of marijuana, heroin, and cocaine for people who are at least 18 years old, they are likely to spend less money fighting violent drug gangs. If Mexico is able to spend less money fighting drug gangs, it may be able to spend more money on its economy. If Mexico’s economy grows a lot, fewer illegal immigrants may come to the United States of America, many illegal immigrants may leave the United States of America, and many more Mexicans may be able to buy products and services from the United States of America. Most non violent drug offenders should be released from prison. If state governments are able to spend less money dealing with violent crime, illegal immigrants who are a major expense for them, and non violent drug offenders, they may be able to reduce there sales taxes.

Governments should legalize prostitution for people who are at least 18 years old to reduce sex slavery and rapes.

I hope many governments and businesses will fund free education websites that will have top teachers and top students from many countries teaching k-12 subjects, college subjects, and graduate school subjects via video, audio, notes, and other things. Teachers and students could be compensated. Online tutoring could take place so that you could have a student in Ireland tutoring a student in South Africa. You could have a teacher in France teaching a class in Kansas.

I hope many governments and businesses will help fund and run cooperative education programs in junior high schools, high schools, colleges, and graduate schools similar to what Northeastern University has. I hope many more students will be able to work in foreign countries.

I post comments after Matthew Leiphon’s “STATE BUDGET WOES” at http://www.newgeography.com/content/00497-state-budget-woes

I post comments after ILIE MITARU’s “CURRENT POLICY OVERLOOKS THE NEW HOMELESS” at http://www.newgeography.com/content/00507-current-policy-overlooks-new-homeless

I discuss ideas that may help Africa on my website http://www.myspace.com/kennethstremsky

The survival of the human race may someday depend on what takes place in Africa.

I graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1992 with a BA Degree in Political Science and a minor in Economics.

I ran for United States Senate in 2002.

thanks for the comment and the flattery.There is so much fear in the world that I do feel it is my responsibility as a futurist to provide a large context for what is really going on today.

Humanity is on the threshold of either great magnificent evolutionary steps or something much worse. To see the big picture is a way to increase the possibility of the former.

Thanks!

David

Great comment! I am not sure how to answer the question. As someone born around 1950, the 1970 date means that I would be younger. The 2012 date means much more in terms of potential or possibility. On the positive it might me that I might get a chance to live to be at least 125 and live in a new golden age of humanity. If humanity screws up it might mean that I might not make it to 50.

I agree that recovery is a poor word to use.
David

Whether David is right or wrong about his immediate projections, that will only be determined through historical retrospective analysis. What is incredibly important here in David’s Post is that he has given us a powerful framework on which to shape our own thinking about the future. Without that framework our thoughtful analysis would have a tendency to drift and be out of focus. I appreciate David’s insightful framing of the discussion and look forward to his Posts and future projections. These are exciting times.