RE: The war of the attention economy
Really interesting article. You are dead on. What I was thinking during reading this piece was the massive companies like Apple and Amazon(that is currently causing shopping centres to close all over the world). Apple owe the Irish exchequer 13 billion in a fine ruled by the EU Court . Apple was funnelling money through Ireland to avoid taxation but that tax was payable in Ireland therefore they have to cough up 13 billion. Small change to Apple but it would go some way to paying off Irelands massive national debt. Hears the thing, the Irish government is appealing the decision! No not apple. The Irish government. It's mad. Apple employ 5500 in Ireland so it is against the governments interests to take 13 billion off them. Big companies are the new powers. Elon Musk will soon put an end to the troubles in the middle east as oil will be in less demand. And we wonder why the Saudi's are getting into property, airlines, casinos in Dubai. The third biggest industry is declining.
The troubles are just beginning. There is tentative peace between essentially tribes (families/groups) there paid for by oil money. the prices now have them running at a loss and when they can no longer pay for peace, 300 million people are going to revolt. It is going to likely cause the largest mass migration of war and economic victims the world has ever seen. China aren't going to take them, nor russia. They can pretty much just come to Europe. Funny isn't it, as the US keeps increasing its production to control prices and release their own reliance.
Hence the reason for the diversification. Whats the timescale do you reckon? Europe can't have another migration crisis. Germany and Belgium have taken too many refugees for their own reasons and the suburbs of their cities and turning into unpleasant places. Brexit might not be as much of a disaster as first thought if this is the case . Wonder if it is more the brainpower and financial backing of silicon valley with new eco tech that is decreasing its reliance or government policy?Either way its a win win .
I reckon in the next 10 years or so but, hard to say. It isn't just a migration crisis issue. The numbers will make Syria look miniscule of it happens. Even without Brexit, UK is an island and would have likely Brexited then perhaps anyway. It is going to be turmoil and vicious.