It is not difficult to envision what could make 2019 a catastrophic year, whether it be in our personal lives or collectively for everyone.
The global economy, which sits on debt pyramids, could collapse and plunge into a recession that is worse than what we experienced ten years ago. Political leaders, who are more or less irresponsible, may think that the solutions to these problems lie in protectionism, which would in turn accelerate the very crisis that it purports to prevent.
In many corners of the world, the most terrible forms of misery will continue to rage because of climate change or the madness of men—war, disease, slavery, exploitation or terrorism.
In other places, wealth that is absolutely obscene and unjustified will continue to be accumulated and squandered.
If this tragic selfishness continues in 2019, it will lead to the omission of the modest commitments made toward the climate, thus making the environmental disaster that awaits future generations even more irreversible.
In particular, there are many specific and possible European crises in 2019: a badly managed exit of Great Britain from the Union will be very harmful to the English and other Europeans as well. A political or financial crisis in Italy could lead to the collapse of the complex infrastructure that protects European banks today, and especially affect workers who earn a salary and savers who have deposited their savings. Finally, during the 2019 electoral transition year, if Europe continues to remain paralyzed when faced with the technological challenges of tomorrow (artificial intelligence) and beyond (biomimicry), she will definitely become nothing but a prey for the two world powers, China and the United States. After 2019, there will be no time left to react.
In France, if the legitimate anger of the poorest and middle classes is forgotten; if the wealthy are content with a cowardly appeasement, ignore the warnings and do not act swiftly, history will remember the yellow vests crisis as the first sign of a very profound revolution, which will cleanly sweep the political structures of this country. Additionally, without a generous and daring response, other forces that have remained very calm during these difficult times could be set in motion and lead to the collapse of the social pyramid, which is already thinly legitimate.
Finally, in this context, if each of us remain enclosed in our private spheres, only help those who are closest to us, and wait on government for everything without taking initiative, the worst is more than just a possibility. In France and elsewhere.
In such case, 2019 could become the pivotal year of the disaster.
Of course, none of this is certain and it is up to us to act. First at the individual level: it is necessary that we learn from these crises that everything depends on us, we must take our destiny in our own hands, and we must not be content with just having our hands out. We must also understand that it is not by waiting for others to help but rather by helping others that we will find the solution to our problems.
We must also come to the realization that empathy is the best of all the qualities, even when we aim for the most selfish type of success.
If we apply these simple principles in our everyday lives, and our commitments related to our family, citizenship, community, political, cultural and friendly endeavors; if we choose leaders who apply these principles, in France and elsewhere, we could have a very positive 2019 and finally shift toward better days.
In such scenario, we would graze the precipice without falling into it and we could, in 2020, smile at the nightmare that we avoided.
Everything is in our hands.
j@attali.com