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Twenty Years Ago in Berlin

It was twenty years ago last week that the Berlin wall ceased to be a barrier.  The wall of Berlin came down, starting several years of collapse and turmoil in what used to be called Eastern Europe.  This was one of the most remarkable, deeply moving events in my lifetime

My entire life up to that historic day of 11/9/89 was one lived with the world divided between the Western and Eastern Blocs.  It was an us versus them world and most geopolitical events were defined within this context.  As a young teenager, I had crossed through Checkpoint Charlie and always …

It is easy for us all to get caught up in our lives. It is also very easy to think that times have never been worse in the world, that the world problems of ‘our time’ are more serious than in the past. As a futurist, I try to look closely at the present, but from the perspective of the rhythms or waves of history and recent history to best get a clear view of the near future.

Leaving a U.S. full of news stories about Korean missiles, new killings in the Middle East [no real surprise there], civil war and …