Revolutionary Wealth clearly believes that China has the capacity to shift tremendous amounts of wealth its way (this has already begun, actually). China’s “twin track” strategy of using cheap labor for manufacturing while aggressively building its knowledge sector has been extremely successful. But China is not alone. India is also on a similar path, as are countries such as South Korea.
The Tofflers are excited about the ability of the knowledge economy to lift people out of poverty. To a certain extent, it’s a trickle-down effect: as the world’s wealth increases and more workers are needed to feed the machine, the poorest countries get invested in and more people are put to work. But they are also talking about programs such as micro-loans in small communities, and using Internet access in remote areas to help people compete in the knowledge arena.
As in all the Toffler books, there are interesting tidbits that make you entertain possibilities you never thought of before. Revolutionary Wealth discusses the potential for a “personal fabricator” - people already download and edit music at home, eventually they could download patterns and have a desktop fabricator actually create toys or other items right in front of them. Money technologies are discussed, such as the potential for “boycott” credit cards that restrict purchases from stores that a movement deems to be on the wrong side of the ideological divide.
And what about the rights of clones? The Tofflers see a future in which the next group fighting discrimination could be the people cloned from your very own DNA.
Revolutionary Wealth paints a picture of a world in overdrive, with vast potential for creating a higher standard of living across the globe. But it’s a messy path, and the unpredictable actions of those who don’t feel the benefits or who are inevitably left behind could cause it all to crumble. No doubt the future will not be as glorious as it might be or as difficult as it could be. Where things go right and where they go wrong can’t easily be predicted, but Revolutionary Wealth puts you smack dab at the fork in the road, fascinatingly describing all the possible paths.
Article comments
1 - Ed Driscoll
Great review. If you can't get enough Revolutionary Shock Third Wealth Future Wave action, I have a lengthy podcast interview with Toffler, over at TCS Daily.
2 - Sean Hackbarth
Fascinating. One qualm I have is the idea that China will be "taking" wealth from other nations (the U.S. being one). I see it as China "creating" wealth. The economy isn't a zero-sum game. If someone gets rich that doesn't necessarily mean someone must get poor. Growing economies mean more individuals' desires are being satisfied through the production of goods and services. China's economy is producing a great deal of goods that we take satisfaction from.
3 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States. Nice work!