The recent troubles in the Euro Zone present the West with some significant challenges. The first and most significant is the seeds of doubt it sows in the trust of Western ideals: not least of all to the idea of 'democracy'. Picture the symbolism of the so called cradle of democracy, Greece being reduced to justifying its existence, with threats of expulsion from Europe. Despite ignoring the origins of our global financial problems stemming from unsustainable financial practices in New York and London, it is easier to apportion blame to the least powerful, and least capable of responding. Yet how symbolic, that we turn on the country that Lord Byron was willing to lay down his life to protect. The reason being that he knew what a destroyed Greece would represent for Western democracy.
Combine the decline of the West (the PIIGS) to the global shifts of power to the 'East', and the symbolism is pronounced. This idea of the global power shift to the East is a self perpetuating myth, a figment of our own collective imagination primarily fuelled by media, but one that is slowly becoming true, mainly because we live it as a reality through our behaviours and ideas. As a result, for many there is a fear in the growth in Eastern power, yet these fears are misplaced. Here comes my key point for today's blog. It is not the power shifts to the east that should be feared, its the decline in democracy in the west that should be feared. In particular a decline in the ability for people to participate in political debates, the reluctance to pursue principles of freedom, justice, and liberty above all else, the failure to take risks and to make the primary agenda about innovation. It is in Western thought, in our ideas, where so many remarkable innovations in technology, in practices, in culture, and in organisations have been born, and nurtured. A central concept in democracy is innovation. Innovation should be the central agenda of Western democracies. To save Europe, we must move to the idea of the Innovation Community: where participation, voice, inclusion, more equitable distribution of wealth, the rewarding of hard work, but also ensuring no one is left behind. There is so much opportunity, so much potential as we face so many challenges. Throughout history, democracies have dealt with challenges through innovation. The current challenges are no different. Governments need to trust more in the innovative capability of its community. We need to overcome our fear and aversion of public/private and third sector collaboration, and break the cognitive loop that 'innovation' and economic growth means never ending mass production and consumption. As long as we are addicted to the consumption of mass production, producing more than could ever be consumed, and where all parts of life becomes a project of consumption, a form of guerrilla marketing of all aspects of life: we cannot complain when sales and marketing becomes the standard practice of everyday life. A well placed can of cola in a movie, a pay now die later funeral plan, a victim of phone tapping in order to sell a paper, and so on, and on, and on: yes, even a blog linked to a textbook. Where your emotions become weapons of mass consumption: fear and happiness, two emotions that when you know how to tap into them, can be used to sell anything to anyone.
Don't get me wrong, consumption is ok, the problem is that too few own the wealth, and the wealth disparity is increasingly greater, meaning there are more have nots, less haves who now have more, and the rest of us are in unsustainable debt. Banks have such a central role because debt is what drives economies. Debt is antithetical to democracy, yet we have made it core to how society progresses. There is almost no alternative now than to get into debt: to live in a house, to have an operation, to go to university and so on. This is not conducive to democracy. Indeed, governments might even want to provide housing loans, where the interest payments go back into public spending rather than to a handful of bank owners and their shareholder. This is a more direct form of wealth generation, than shareholder value.
To end, as Gandhi said when asked what he thought about Western civilisation, "it would be a good idea". Democracy is not perfect, but its the best thing we've got, lets bring democracy back into our government, our organisations, and our communities. Innovation will flow as a result.
See you next week.
