| ID | 129243 |
| Title Proper | Disconnected |
| Other Title Information | as technological development shifts into hyperspeed, governments remain stuck in neutral. |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Rothkopf, David |
| Publication | 2014. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The fabric of civilization is being rewoven around us. The very nature of life, work, and society is changing so profoundly that we are approaching a moment at which our old ways of thinking about the structures that sustain us may be seen as obsolete. This happens periodically throughout history -- think of the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution. Such eras often produce turmoil or upheaval, until leaders emerge who are able to help shape a new order for a new age.
The question today is whether our leaders are up to the challenge. Given their lack of grounding in the world's most pressing scientific and technological issues, I fear many, if not most, are not. Formerly disenfranchised populations are increasingly connecting to telecom, Internet, and other services. For instance, mobile-phone penetration was estimated to have surpassed 80 percent in Africa in the first quarter of 2013, according to figures published in 2012 by ABI Research. What's more, it is growing faster in Africa than anywhere else in the world. And though smartphone penetration in Africa is just 20 percent -- pretty near global levels -- it is expected to explode in the next few years. |
| `In' analytical Note | Foreign Policy Vol. , No.205; March-April 2014: p.79-80 |
| Journal Source | Foreign Policy Vol. , No.205; March-April 2014: p.79-80 |
| Key Words | Social Reforms ; Civilization ; Africa ; Technological Development ; Industrial Revolution ; History ; Leadership ; Global Change ; Political Change |