On West and the rest

The need for stepping out of the box and looking for other perspective has become a cliche. So much the same for the need to constantly re-invent the society, the fabrics of the economy and the way of living. In times of crisis Western economies increasingly looking elsewhere for solutions, - being it consumption in BRICs or cash from the Middle East, family businesses in Southern Europe or strong government in administered democracies. Give it some time, and the failing economy will again become a stronghold of capitalism. There is a certain beauty in the ability of the robust market economy to re-invent itself.

Reading *Empire of Knowledge* by Vinay Lal, a book I picked up in a bookstore in Mumbai, makes a good point in that the notion of time has become hi-jacked by the West. Time has a Western connotation in a sense, - time is precious, there is no time to waste and we shall move at a faster pace. Other notions of time have no space in the ontology of development. Too bad the book later goes on a rampage of anti-Western self-pitiing propaganda. Could have been a good one.

Societies that manage to create spaces people are craving for are the most successful ones. Either materialistic, or with attractive live styles, picturesque or secure - whatever meaning a space is able to radiate to make itself attractive, - this is a notion of success. Spacial war for perceptions, - that is what global competition is.

Creation of wealth at a massive scale is one business process to be mastered be successful nations. True, Western sense of wealth is long associated with assets, but notion of assets is a shifting one, esp. over the recent 20 something years. It opens opportunities for other countries to provide own notion of assets, and respectively wealth. Will we see countries putting right price on what they deem as a true assets in their own understanding? Fear of doing so is a major drawback in changing the world order in 21 century. Price is just a value put on virtue as considered by a local market.

Ability to broaden the limits of human knowledge is a major value of the economy. The spheres of knowledge are multiple and there are many borders to be pushed, and many more yet to be discovered. Society that is able to strive for knowledge, that is recognising the need for knowledge is ultimately a front runner in the global competition. Once we stop wanting something big and unknown in our lives, once we stop wondering at immense discoveries or become indifferent to new paradigms (or gadgets for this matter) - we are stepping back in our own development. Nations able to leap ahead are the ultimate winners, ceteris parubis.