DYSTOPIA^**

HOW THE COLLAPSE OF THE FINANCIAL MARKETS IS DESTROYING THE WORLD ECONOMY – AND SOCIETY WITH IT…….

“HAVING THEIR CAKE” – THE BOOK (First published, Kogan Page 2004, paperback edition 2005)

THE SEQUENCE OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT RUN THROUGH THE BOOK – and beyond....

THE POST- WAR PERIOD IN AMERICA (AND BRITAIN LATER) SAW A MASSIVE BOOM, GROWTH OF ADVERTISING, CONSUMPTION AND SELFISH INDIVIDUALISM…

IN BRITAIN, THE SUDDEN DEREGULATION OF THE FINANCIAL MARKETS IN 1986, PART OF THE THATCHER ELIMINATION OF A “MANAGED ECONOMY” WAS A SEMINAL EVENT THAT CHANGED SOCIETY.

• THE LONDON FINANCIAL MARKETS (CITY) HAVE CHANGED SINCE ‘BIG BANG’ AND THE DEMISE OF BRITISH OWNED INVESTMENT BANKING
• THE ‘NEW’, MORE AGGRESSIVE, CITY HAS COME TO BE THE DOMINANT INFLUENCE ON TOP MANAGERS OF LARGE QUOTED COMPANIES.
• THE CITY HAS A VERY NARROW UNDERSTANDING OF BUSINESS THAT GENERALLY IGNORES THE CUSTOMER AND PEOPLE ASPECTS.
• THE FINANCIAL PRESS OFTEN MAGNIFIES THE INFLUENCE OF THE CITY.
• THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE DOMINANT MARKETS AND TOP MANAGERS ARE NOW VERY STRONG BUT OFTEN QUITE INFORMAL AND SUBTLE.
• MANAGERS HAVE ADAPTED TO THE CHANGING POWER BALANCE, AND LEARNED HOW TO BENEFIT HUGELY FROM PLEASING THE FINANCIAL MARKETS.
• CONSEQUENTLY, THEIR VALUES, SKILLS AND BEHAVIOUR HAVE CHANGED TO BE MORE LIKE THOSE OF THE MARKETS.

ALL OF THIS HAS HAD MASSIVE EFFECTS ON MANAGEMENT, INDUSTRY THE ECONOMY – AND SOCIETY AT LARGE.

• HUGE DESTRUCTION OF LARGER COMPANIES IN PHYSICS AND ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE BUSINESSSES.
• HIGH MORTALITY AND CHANGE IN FTSE100, BURGEONING FOREIGN OWNERSHIP IN THECITY AND MANUFACTURING.
• EXPLOSION OF MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS AND DEALS, MOST OF WHICH DESTROY COMPANIES AND VALUE.
• THE RISE OF ‘SUPERSTAR’ TOP MANAGERS, INCREASINGLY DETACHED FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY LEAD.
• THE DECLINE OF ‘REAL’ MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND THE ART OF MANAGING.
• EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE OF EMPLOYEES.
• RIPPING OFF AND EXPLOITATION OF CUSTOMERS
• COCK-UPS’, DISASTERS AND MANAGERIAL INCOMPETENCE
• INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND FINANCIAL SYSTEMS SERIOUSLY UNDERMINED

DECLINE OF PUBLIC SERVICES, MASSIVE OUTSOURCING AND PRIVATISATION OF MOST ELEMENTS OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

• PRETENCE THAT THE MARKET AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE ARE MORE “EFFICIENT”
• COSTS OF MOST PUBLIC SERVICES ROCKET, MANY SERVICE PROVIDERS GO BANKRUPT, PUBLIC AT LARGE RIPPED OFF
• POORER AND OLDER MEMBERS OF THE POPULACE SUFFER MOST
• PUBLIC ANGER GROWS AS THE HEALTH OF SOCIETY AT LARGE IS SERIOUSLY UNDERMINED
• THIS “LEAKS” INTO THE POLITICAL SPHERE CAUSING WIDESPREAD ANGER AND DISTRUST OF POLITICIANS
• MAIN PARTIES BEGIN TO FRAGMENT, SOME SMALLER PARTIES PROFIT, BUT ALSO POPULIST POLITICIANS PREACH THE DOWNFALL OF THE “SYSTEM”
• ANGER SPILLS OVER INTO REJECTION OF “FOREIGNERS” AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. THIS IS MOST NOTICEABLE IN SOCIETIES WHICH ARE GROSSLY UNEQUAL; FOR EXAMPLE, BRITAIN AND AMERICA.

POSSIBLE ENDGAMES?

• ECONOMIC NATIONALISM BURGEONS
• DECLINE OF INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION, TRADE WARS, COLLAPSE OF POST WAR INSTITUTIONS
• RICH COUNTRIES BECOME RICHER, POORER COUNTRIES DECLINE,
• WORLD DRIFTS TOWARDS CHAOS AND “HOT” WARFARE