Aftermaths

The world is immersed in two tough postwar situations: two different “aftermaths”. The original shock and fear and global lockdown caused by Covid-19 leaves us feeling depleted and insecure, and the pullout from Afghanistan puts an end to one of the “forever wars” that had been draining the resources of the US and its allies for decades. Covid continues to infect and to kill, of course, and battles keep raging in Afghanistan, but the West is essentially dealing with the aftermaths of those two crises. Economic recovery is challenging, especially given a global re-evaluation of many aspects of globalization, and the American withdrawal from Afghanistan suggests a gradual decline of US power and, inevitably, the rise of China. If the world order is changing into a multipolar system, creative governance is called for more than ever. This issue of Aspenia also analyzes recent technological developments, which remain relevant to the economy, public health and also the workplace. Further space is dedicated to the climate, which dovetails with discussions on these issues as well, pointing the way towards a greener, safer future. If civilization as we know it is to avoid a classic pattrn of expansion, development and decay, we might consciously renounce “immoderate greatness” – as posited by William Ophuls, in a book reviewed here. As we do our best to emerge from the “aftermaths”, we might focus on stopping the boom so as to prevent the bust.