There are success stories all across the globe - and in our country, too
If you follow the news, the world is full of strife.
The fact remains, however, that the 20th century with its world wars, nazism, communism and Great Depression was a historic disaster.
The 21st century, in contrast, is generally peaceful. Terrorism creates emotional panic but not nearly the loss of life that occurred in the last century.
Jonathan Tepperman in “The Fix: How Nations Survive and Thrive in a World in Decline” makes an argument for hope in the current era of “overpowering gloom.”
“This book is a testament to the power of people to get things done,” he wrote.
One of the basic premises of this book is that the world’s troubles represent a failure of politicians to lead. These failures have convinced many people that the problems are unsolvable.
third world examples
In fact, Tepperman looked around the world and found nations that had turned around seemingly hopeless situations.
• Take Rwanda, the site of ethnic violence in Africa. A successful reconciliation program set the nation on course for more peace and relative prosperity.
• Indonesia, the nation with the largest Muslim population, managed to co-opt the extremists in its midst. So “Muslim” and “extremist” don’t have to go together.
As the world’s fourth most populous country, Indonesia has become a successful democracy. One key is civilian control over a former military dictatorship.
“Indonesia proves that the battle against radical Islam is actually winnable provided that leaders have the courage, cunning and flexibility to do what’s necessary,” Tepperman writes.
• Singapore, the small Asian island nation, built amazing wealth by getting rid of corruption that been part of its culture.
• Botswana leaders decided that they would not allow a reliance on diamonds to dominate the nation and adjusted for a more healthy economy.
South Korea’s miracle
South Korea created one of the most dynamic economies in the world out of rubble and did it in phases. It is now one of the richest countries in the world. South Korea is now world’s seventh largest exporter and has the world’s 13th largest GDP.
This has happened thanks to dramatic changes in government, from dictatorship to democratization and liberalization.
“South Korea proves that good economics requires good, open government, and vice versa,” Tepperman writes.
“It’s no coincidence: Innovation requires the ability to think and compete freely. South Korea never would have been able to build its own massive knowledge economy without the political liberties.”
To push to more advanced stages, South Korea pumped money into schools, highways and ports. Literacy rose from 22 percent in 1945 to 88 percent in 1970.
• Canada has avoided the anti-immigrant backlash by concentrating on those with skills. While about 30 percent of American immigrants are undocumented, only about 5 percent of Canada’s are.
Canada has become an ethnically diverse powerhouse and one of the most multicultural nations in the world.
Canada sponsored billboards in Silicon Valley that targeted immigrants having trouble getting work visas. More than 20 percent of Canada’s residents are immigrants. Canada selected immigrants based on what they could contribute; their system produced immediate dividends.
• Mexico has built the second-largest economy in Latin America by becoming a worldwide manufacturing center.
u.s. energy revolution
Closer to home, New York City built an impressive anti-terrorism police force that in key ways is better than the feds.
And the United States in incredibly short order overcame an oil shortage and is about to become the world leader in oil and gas production.
It’s an only-in-America success story: “The United States has done something no other country has, or could. Many other nations are now trying to catch up. But so far, none have come close.”
A decade ago, U.S. oil and gas production was dwindling. Oil production had peaked, supposedly.
The Department of Energy warned of a “major economic upheaval.”
Now the U.S. is the world’s largest natural gas producer and a major exporter.
In the last five years, U.S. oil production increased by 60 percent. In 2014, U.S. oil output was the greatest in 25 years.
The U.S. will be the world’s top oil producer by 2020, passing Saudi Arabia and Russia, reports the International Energy Agency. The U.S, may be able to limit crude imports totally or limit them to friendly countries like Canada and Mexico.
The energy revolution has pumped $100 billion into the U.S. economy since 2007. By the end of the decade, homeowners saved $30 billion on their electric bills.
The shale boom has reduced pollution by replacing coal and produces half the carbon emissions. Unlike drilling in deep water or the Arctic, shale wells are cheap, quick and easy to drill.
From 1999 to 2013, the total known North American natural gas reserves doubled as a result of fracking, almost twice the size of Saudi Arabia’s energy inventory.
If Americans think the world is failing, then it’s likely due to relentless negativity.
“The fixes are out there,” Tepperman writes. “Now our leaders must act on them.”