Back from China today, I return with beautiful memories and above all the strong conviction that we’re entering a new era. As “young” business leaders, we have an important role to play. We also have a responsibility.
“J’ai vu finir le monde ancien” (*) is the title of a book that describes the upheaval in New York in 2001 while the twin towers were collapsing.
Maybe it’s presumptuous, but I feel that we’re wrong about the date. Personally, I saw the end of “the world of yesterday” one night in 1989 when an old dam that we believed eternal fell.
On that night, waves coming from the East invaded the lighted stores of Berlin. We realized that on the other side of the wall, the “barbarians” were like us, they were dreaming of televisions, automobiles, washing machines … Maybe this was surprising for some, but it’s human.
On that night, waves coming from the East invaded the lighted stores of Berlin. We realized that on the other side of the wall, the “barbarians” were like us, they were dreaming of televisions, automobiles, washing machines … Maybe this was surprising for some, but it’s human.
On that night, the old world shook. “The Cold War no longer had a reason for being. Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary, announced a budget cut-back of 180 billion dollars on defense spending.” (**) Since then, old leaders have built new walls, invented new barbarians, new markets for arms trade. According to what they say on TV, we have to protect ourselves from Islamic terrorists …
The industry of war is coming to an end.
We talk a lot about America, but Chirac is also making a huge mistake when he advocates the end of the arms embargo in China. He is squandering the credit he received from his positions on Israel and the war in Iraq.
While traveling in Morocco and China, it’s easy to see that the waves of change are growing. Like the former East German dreamed of televisions, today Moroccans and Chinese are today dreaming of mobile telephones and flat-screen TV.
In 25 years, the 20-euro bill has become the passport of more than 550 million European consumers.
“Make purchases, not war” should perhaps be the slogan of this century.
• (*) Alexandre Adler – “J’ai vu finir le monde ancien” – Grasset
• (**) François Missen – Le réseau Carlyle - Flammarion