A Different Future

A Different Future, on the other hand, analyses the world crises as holistic and interconnected systems with political, social, economic, religious, ecological and scientific dimensions. It concludes that continued competition for and consumption of natural resources at the predicted rate are unsustainable and will lead to significant political conflict, greater economic inequality, ecological disasters and increased social unrest in a world confronted by moral bankruptcy. A Different Future explores the possible nature of an alternate future; a future based on a shared vision founded on co-operation and contribution that generates significantly different attitudes and outcomes beyond sterile economic indicators.

We have come to the end of an era and do not know where to turn. We are stumbling from crisis to crisis and the only available solutions seem to be more of the same. More competition for dwindling natural resource; More conflict in a world of nationalistic politics; More consumption in the deluded hope of finding happiness in material possessions; More individualism and selfishness; More continued neglect for the environment we live in; More of the illusion that certainty and ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ exist in the context of political; economical, religious and social ideologies. A Different Future A Different Future challenges the ‘more of the same’ idiocy of the monolithic world of economic theory and economic growth head on, and gives a graphic and informative account of the world we live in today; a world of complex and dynamic relationships and interplays between social, political, economic, ecological, scientific and religious dimensions. The consequences of the world we live in today are clear to see; political conflict, economic recession; social unrest; religious bigotry and extremism; the pursuit of science for science’s sake and the prospects of irreversible climate change. A Different Future spells out the current situation of our world in no uncertain terms and demonstrates that, at every level, competition and consumption have driven us to the edge of a global political, social and economic cliff. ‘More of the same’ will send us over the edge and we need to find alternate solutions to the very real challenges we face today in order to have a more positive future to look forward to. A Different Future explores a vision for the global and interconnected world in which we live today; a vision based on ‘Cooperation’ and ‘Contribution’ that is better placed to resolve global issues such as resource shortages and climate change; a world of less poverty and greater equality; a world where we measure progress through a set of balanced measures that reflect the true reality of prosperity, rather than the current crude indicators of economic growth. A Different Future challenges us, as individuals, as organisations and as governments to act now to create a different future to that currently standing before us. Central to this is a vision for the future in which cooperation produces better and more sustainable outcomes than competition; a future in which the contribution we make to society provides the source of satisfaction with life, rather than consumption of ever more. This is the challenge to the world in the ‘Human Charter’ and the ‘Declaration’. We have reached the end of an era; we must change; we can change; we will change.

Andrew A. Crest is no stranger to world affairs, having travelled extensively around the developed and developing world, experiencing a myriad of different cultures and political systems. An Honours graduate in Economics, he has extensive international business experience and has worked in senior positions in various different industries across Europe and America over the last three decades. He holds a deep interest in world affairs, philosophy, psychology and the sciences, particularly in the context of the evolution of political and social development. A recognised online expert, he continues to be fascinated by the social, political and economic changes that are driven by life in the virtual world. A Different Future is Andrew’s debut book and reflects his experience and views of a world that has reached an important cross-road in its future direction. Andrew felt compelled to write A Different Future as the international community continues to stumble from crises to crises in the mistaken belief that the causes are economic in nature and can be resolved through economic policies alone.