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Mega-Event Mobilities: A Critical Analysis (Routledge Critical Studies in Urbanism and the City)
by Christiane Timmerman Noel B. Salazar Johan Wets Luana Gama Gato Sarah Van Den BrouckeGlobal sports events are rarely far from the public eye. Such mega-events are about much more than the sporting competitions themselves. They entail global exposure and intense struggles by different stakeholders. This is the first book to examine sports mega-events from a mobilities perspective. It analyses the ‘mobile construction’ of global sports mega-events and the role this plays in managing labour, imaginaries, policies and legacies. In particular, the book focuses on the tension between the various mobilities and immobilities that are implied in the process of constructing a mega-event. It seeks to uncover the ways in which an event is a series of fluid interactions that occur sequentially and simultaneously at multiple scales in diverse spheres of interaction. Contributions explore the dynamics through which mega-events occur, revealing the textures and nuance of the complex systems that sustain them, and the ways that events ramify throughout the international system.
Mega-Events and Mega-Ambitions: South Korea’s Rise and the Strategic Use of the Big Four Events (Mega Event Planning)
by Yu-Min Joo Yooil Bae Eva Kassens-NoorThis book provides a holistic analysis of South Korea’s strategic use of mega-events in its modern development. It examines the Summer Olympics (1988), the World Expo (1993), the FIFA World Cup (2002), and the Winter Olympics (2018) over the past 30 years of the country’s rapid growth, and across varying stages of economic and political development. It explains how mega-events helped to secure South Korea’s position on the international stage, boost nationalism, propel economic growth in export-oriented national companies, and build cities that accommodate – as well as represent – South Korea’s progress. It thereby highlights the broader implications for today’s global phenomenon of increasing reliance on mega-events as a catalyst for development, while the criticism that mega-events do more harm than good proliferates. The book is ideal for academics, policymakers, and those with an interest in mega-events and their role in the development of non-western countries.
Mega-Events, City and Power (Routledge Studies in Urbanism and the City)
by Nelma Gusmão de OliveiraThis book examines the power relations that emerge from the convergence of the universe in which the sporting spectacle is produced and the universe in which a city is produced. The book adopts Bourdieu’s concept of field to explore the interests and disputes involved in the production of sports mega-events across different times and spaces, and the role of host cities in these processes. It aims to identify the bases that give these spectacles the power to produce disruptions in the social fabric of the host cities and countries and to enable the production of authoritarian forms of exercising power. By observing the historical constitution of the field of production of sport spectacle as an autonomous field, this book explores how sport mega-events create both an arena and a context for radical expressions of authoritarianism of neoliberal planning models. The book will be of interest to students, scholars, and professionals in architecture and urban studies, urban planning, municipal governance, sport and leisure studies as well as those interested in the relationship between state and capital in the production of urban space.
Mega-Events: Placemaking, Regeneration and City-Regional Development
by Graeme EvansThis book brings together different perspectives of mega-event bidding, hosting and legacies. Their impact is considered through an international range of mega-events in terms of land use, political and socio-economic change, and the placemaking processes that accompany these area-based regeneration projects. From city-regions that have not been successful or withdrawn from mega-event selection, to contemporary Olympic, Football World Cup and Expo host cities whose legacy is still unfolding, to event sites whose legacy is now established, the global appeal of the mega-event is apparent from this collection. The book interrogates the mega-event phenomenon in ten countries, from North and South America, and Australia, to Western and Eastern Europe. Drawing on their historical evolution and antecedents, and following recurrent themes of urban regeneration and resistance, the book highlights the importance of major events and festivals to the creation and marketing of place through branding and regional growth In considering a range of mega-events critically and in different national and geopolitical contexts, the book will be of interest to policy and decision-makers at local, regional, national and international levels, and will be of particular interest to professionals, scholars and students working in planning, urban studies, sport and leisure studies, and in event and festival management.
Mega-Regional Trade Agreements
by Thilo RensmannThis book provides an in-depth analysis of "Mega-Regionals", the new generation of trans-regional free-trade agreements (FTAs) currently under negotiation, and their effect on the future of international economic law. The main focus centres on the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), but the findings are also applicable to similar agreements under negotiation, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The specific features of Mega-Regional Trade Agreements raise a number of issues with respect to their potential effect on the current system of international trade and investment law. These include the consequences of Mega-Regionals for the most-favoured-nation (MFN) principle, their relation to the multilateral system of the World Trade Organization (WTO), their democratic legitimacy and their interaction with existing bilateral investment treaties (BITs). The book is intended for academics and practitioners working in the field of international economic law.
Mega-Regional Trade Agreements and India: Balancing Economic and Strategic Concerns (Routledge Studies in the Modern World Economy)
by Pankhuri GaurThe world has witnessed the proliferation of Mega-Regional Trade Agreements (MRTAs), and this book critically examines a range of issues with MRTAs starting from their genesis to their economic clout over the world, the likely implications for member countries’ integration, and the challenges they pose for non-member countries.Gaur focuses on concerns and challenges that non-member countries like India, South Africa, and Argentina, among others are facing with the World Trade Organization (WTO) standstill and how these MRTAs are becoming a cause of concern for the multilateral trade organization. The book also discusses the major reasons for India’s withdrawal from Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and tries to answer these questions – Should India join RCEP or the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)? Taking into account India’s economic and strategic concerns, various models and indices are used to evaluate the effect on trade and investment. It also emphasizes the trade and investment linkages of India in these mega-regionals and the consequences for MRTA member countries. The consequences of India’s absence from the RCEP and mega-regionalism in general are also examined.This book is useful for research scholars working in the field of international economics as well as government aids and policymakers. It will also be valuable for classes in international trade and integration, international relations, international security and regional studies.
Mega-Selling: Secrets of a Master Salesman
by David Cowper Andrew Haynes Donald Cowper"No matter what your industry, no matter what your product, if you want to sell in the big leagues, this book is a revelation." -Steve Carlson, Publisher and Editor, Marketing Options "David Cowper is not just one of the world's most successful life insurance salespeople, he is one of the cleverest. He thinks his way into giant cases and so can we, if we follow his strategies." -Tony Gordon, Past Chairman, Top of the Table, Bristol, England "David Cowper's book is, by far, the best I have ever read on the art of selling life insurance. Through fascinating storytelling, David reveals the extraordinary scale of thought and passion devoted to his selling opportunities. His book will inspire every reader to add zeros to their sales numbers." -Leon Lewis, Planning Consultant "David Cowper demonstrates how to achieve sales excellence through creativity, intelligence, and the power of stories. This book is required reading for all sales professionals." -Norm L. Trainor, President, The Covenant Group, and Author of The 8 Best Practices of High-Performing Salespeople When David Cowper began his insurance career, he was alone in a new country with no contacts and only forty dollars in his pocket. Three months after entering the business, he still hadn't sold a single policy. But David stuck with it to routinely make million-dollar sales and become one of the top insurance salespeople in the world. More than a rags-to-riches story, Mega-Selling is a first-hand account of the unique strategies David developed to penetrate new markets and close multi-million-dollar sales. With Mega-Selling, any salesperson can learn from the best and become a top performer.
Mega-events and Urban Image Construction: Beijing and Rio de Janeiro (Routledge Studies in Urbanism and the City)
by Anne-Marie BroudehouxWhile societies shape the way their cities look and are represented, urban images, in turn, nurture and structure social relations in multiple ways. Nowhere is this dialectical relationship between social processes and urban representations more visible than in the hosting of global spectacles such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games, which both embody some of society’s deepest dreams and desires. The focus of this book is the image of cities. It is not only interested in the mechanisms of urban image construction but also in the politics of such a phenomenon, especially its social impacts in terms of representation and right to the city. The book investigates the complex power relationships that underscore the production of the urban landscape and the construction and diffusion of urban images, especially in the context of urban mega-events. It uses the notion of urban image construction as a lens through which to examine the mega-event spectacle, with chapters exploring the physical, social and political dimensions of the imagineering process as well as emerging resistance to controversial initiatives. Through an analysis of event-related urban construction efforts in Rio de Janeiro and Beijing, this book examines the effects of mega-events upon the construction of an exclusive vision of urbanity. It demonstrates how mega-events are increasingly utilized by local political and economic elites to reconfigure power relations, strengthen their hold upon the urban territory and exclude vulnerable population groups. The book thus offers a critical analysis of the practice of urban image construction, and will be of interest to those working in geography, urban studies, tourism, sport studies, development studies and politics.
Mega-regionalism and Great Power Geo-economic Competition (Routledge Advances in International Relations and Global Politics)
by Xianbai JiThe regional trade governance architecture is in flux. The latest wave of regionalism in the form of mega-regional trade partnerships between countries with major shares of the world economy occurred in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-09. The most systematically important mega-FTAs included the Trans-Pacific Partnership led by the United States (US), the China-backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the European Union (EU) and the US. Drawing on policy diffusion and competitive regionalism literatures, Xianbai Ji develops an innovative model of competitive spill-over to uncover the historical and contemporary sources of mega-regionalism resulting from a temporal clustering of mega-FTA initiatives from great powers. In the book, mega-FTA is conceptualised as an instrument of geo-economic competition between the US, China, and the EU. Each aspired to leverage its mega-FTA to gain an edge over its rivals in economic, geopolitical, and legal terms. Through a mix-method research strategy involving computable general equilibrium modelling, game theory, desk research, and perception survey, Ji generates an impressive chorus of quantitative, qualitative, and perceptual data demonstrating that the rise of mega-regionalism was driven by the multidimensional competition between the US, China, and the EU over international economic benefits, geopolitical influence, and the authority to write rules governing emerging trade issues. This book will attract academics, think tankers, practitioners, and postgraduate students interested in regionalism, international trade, international political economy, applied trade policy analysis, great power competition, geo-economics, and international relations.
Megachange: Economic Disruption, Political Upheaval, and Social Strife in the 21st Century
by Darrell M. WestBig, unexpected changes are here to stay.Slow, incremental change has become a relic of the past. Today's shifts come fast and big, what Darrell West calls megachanges, in which dramatic disruptions in trends and policies occur on a regular basis.Domestically, we see megachange at work in the new attitudes and policies toward same-sex marriage, health care, smoking, and the widespread legalization of marijuana use. Globally, we have seen the extraordinary rise and then collapse of the Arab Spring, the emergence of religious zealotry, the growing influence of nonstate actors, the spread of ISIS-fomented terrorism, the rise of new economic and political powers in Asia, and the fracturing of once-stable international alliances.Long-held assumptions have been shattered, and the proliferation of unexpected events is confounding experts in the United States and around the globe. Many of the social and political institutions that used to anchor domestic and international politics have grown weak or are in need of dramatic reform.What to do? West says that we should alter our expectations about the speed and magnitude of political and social change. We also need to recognize that many of our current governing processes are geared to slow deliberation and promote incremental change, not large-scale transformation. With megachange becoming the new normal, our domestic and global institutions must develop the ability to tackle the massive economic, political, and social shifts that we face.
Megacity Mobility Culture: How Cities Move on in a Diverse World
by Institute for Mobility ResearchWhat determines how cities move on? The ever-increasing challenges to urban mobility come in many forms, and approaches to address them range from the technically ingenious to attempts to change travel behaviour. Key amongst factors essential to the success of any such approach is whether the urban environment proves to be fertile ground for the desired progress. Another vital determinant of success is how well individual measures to engineer the transport system interact with other developments. This leads to the principal subject of Megacity Mobility Culture: the basic principles that determine the paths along which cities move. This book demonstrates that the concept of 'mobility culture' provides a framework for understanding the development of urban transport which transcends the boundaries between academic disciplines. Based on a discussion of the diversity of megacities worldwide, it provides help in navigating the complexity of megacity mobility culture. Experts from megacities around the world each take the reader on a journey to their own city and its mobility culture, giving a deeper insight into the unique evolutionary paths of mobility that these places have taken, and what lies before them. Whilst acknowledging the overwhelming diversity of cities worldwide, the authors also identify common denominators behind the evolution of urban transport systems - seven temperaments which are found in a unique mix in any given city, defining the character of its mobility culture. The Institute for Mobility Research is a research facility of the BMW Group. It deals with future developments and challenges relating to mobility across all modes of transport, with automobility being only one aspect among many. Taking on an international perspective, ifmo's activities focus on social science and sociopolitical, economic and ecological issues, but also extend to cultural questions related to the key challenges facing the future of mobility. The work of the Institute is supported by an interdisciplinary board of renowned scientists and scholars, and by representatives of BMW, Deutsche Bahn, Lufthansa, MAN, Siemens and The World Bank.
Megacorporation: The Infinite Times of Alphabet (Business, Value Creation, and Society)
by Glen WhelanWhen the scale and scope of influence that a corporation wields is so great that it eclipses that of nearly all other corporations combined, it attains megacorporate status. Whelan proposes that, amongst the current big tech cohort, it is only Alphabet, the parent company of Google, that can be categorized as such. In advancing a novel philosophical perspective, and aspiring to an amoral ideal of analysis, Whelan reveals Alphabet's activities to be informed by the ideology of infinite times, consequently transforming how we experience the past, present and the future at personal and social levels. By shining a light on such corporate existential impacts, Megacorporation: The Infinite Times of Alphabet opens up a new field of research that makes the philosophical analysis of business and society an everyday concern. This novel study on corporate social influence will appeal to readers interested in big tech, business and society, political economy and organization studies.
Megalith, Inc. -- Hay Associates (A)
by John P. Kotter Anne Harlan John A. SeegerIn 1969, Megalith centralized its financial and control functions. John Boyd, senior vice president for finance, hired four brilliant young managers to "bring the group out of the stone age." By 1975, this management team had created a near-perfect finance office of 630 employees. But two of the "young stars" have just quit, and Boyd is sure the constraints of salary ceilings are responsible. He talks with a compensation consultant (Hay Associates).
Megalith, Inc. -- Hay Associates (B)
by D. Quinn MillsDescribes Hay Associates Climate Survey Questionnaire and the eight dimensions of organizational climate. Rewritten by G.W. Baird, company partner.
Megalith, Inc. -- Hay Associates (C)
by D. Quinn MillsProvides a glossary of executive compensation terms. Rewritten by G.W. Baird, company partner.
Megamedia: How Giant Corporations Dominate Mass Media, Distort Competition, and Endanger Democracy
by Dean AlgerHow giant corporations dominate mass media, distort competition, and endanger democracy.
Meganets: How Digital Forces Beyond Our Control Commandeer Our Daily Lives and Inner Realities
by David B. AuerbachHow the autonomous digital forces jolting our lives – as uncontrollable as the weather and plate tectonics – are transforming life, society, culture, and politics.David Auerbach&’s exploration of the phenomenon he has identified as the meganet begins with a simple, startling revelation: There is no hand on the tiller of some of the largest global digital forces that influence our daily lives: from corporate sites such as Facebook, Amazon, Google, YouTube, Instagram, and Reddit to the burgeoning metaverse encompassing cryptocurrencies and online gaming to government systems such as China&’s Social Credit System and India&’s Aadhaar.As we increasingly integrate our society, culture and politics within a hyper-networked fabric, Auerbach explains how the interactions of billions of people with unfathomably large online networks have produced a new sort of beast: ever-changing systems that operate beyond the control of the individuals, companies, and governments that created them.Meganets, Auerbach explains, have a life of their own, actively resisting attempts to control them as they accumulate data and produce spontaneous, unexpected social groups and uprisings that could not have even existed twenty years ago. And they constantly modify themselves in response to user behavior, resulting in collectively authored algorithms none of us intend or control. These enormous invisible organisms exerting great force on our lives are the new minds of the world, increasingly commandeering our daily lives and inner realities.Auerbach&’s analysis of these gargantuan opaque digital forces yield important insights such as:The conventional wisdom that the Googles and Facebook of this world are tightly run algorithmic entities is a myth. No one is really in control.The efforts at reform - to get lies and misinformation off meganets - run into a brick wall because the companies and executives who run them are trapped by the persistent, evolving, and opaque systems they have created.Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are uncontrollable and their embrace by elite financial institutions threatens the entire economyWe are asking the wrong questions in assuming that if only the Facebooks of this world could be better regulated or broken up that they would be better, more ethical citizens.Why questions such as making algorithms fair and bias-free and whether AI can be a tool for good or evil are wrong and misinformedAuerbach then comes full circle, showing that while we cannot ultimately control meganets we can tame them through the counterintuitive measures he describes in detail.
Megaproject Management: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Embrace Complexity and Sustainability (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Franca Cantoni Edoardo FavariThe book investigates the various aspects characterizing Megaprojects from numerous perspectives and by integrating different disciplines: engineering, economics, business organization, human resource management, law, etc. It represents the first output of MeRIT (the Megaproject Research Interdisciplinary Team), and focuses on the intrinsic and unavoidable complexity of Megaprojects. The chapters have intentionally not been standardized, and humanistic topics are not separated from technical ones: this way of reading and interpreting Megaprojects through the cross-pollination of various disciplines reflects the MeRIT approach. Addressing the complexity involved in Megaprojects requires the use of a hermeneutic circle of sorts: understanding the project as a whole is achieved by referring to the specific parts, while each part can only be understood in relation to the whole. This circular approach appears to be the only one applicable to Megaprojects: no final destination, no final synthesis can be achieved. This volume consists of eight chapters written by researchers in law, economics, sociology, business organization, engineering, architecture and landscaping. The topics covered will be relevant to researchers, practitioners involved in the development of Megaprojects, and policymakers at the EU level.
Megaproject: Case Study of China's Three Gorges Project (Studies In Chinese Environment And Development)
by Shiu-hung Luk Joseph WhitneyThis volume translates crucial Chinese documents on a debate currently raging in China on a proposed project that has enormous implications for its environmental, economic, and social impact - the Three Gorges (Sanxia) Project on the Yangtze River. The most massive water resource project ever planned in China and one of the largest in the world, the Three Gorges Project would cost $1.1 billion to build, would necessitate the relocation of 1.1 million people, would flood a 375-mile-long area and thus destroy some of China's - indeed the world's - most beautiful scenery, and would threaten the extinction of a rare river porpoise. The editors seek to place the arguments in a clear and scholarly perspective that helps to make this book a valuable source of information.
Megaprojects
by Virginia A. GreimanProject management lessons learned on the Big Dig, America's biggest megaproject, by a core member responsible for its daily operations In Megaproject Management, a central member of the Big Dig team reveals the numerous risks, challenges, and accomplishments of the most complex urban infrastructure project in the history of the United States. Drawing on personal experience and interviews with project engineers, executive oversight commission officials, and core managers, the author, a former deputy counsel and risk manager for the Big Dig, develops new insights as she describes the realities of day-to-day management of the project from a project manager's perspective. The book incorporates both theory and practice and is therefore highly recommended to policymakers, academics, and project management practitioners. Focusing on lessons learned, this insightful coursebook presents the Big Dig as a massive case study in the management of risk, cost, and schedule, particularly the interrelation of technical, legal, political, and social factors. It provides an analysis of the difficulties in managing megaprojects during each phase and over the life span of the project, while delivering useful lessons on why projects go wrong and what can be done to prevent project failure. It also offers new ideas to enhance project management performance and innovation in our global society. This unique guide: Defines megaproject characteristics and frameworks Reviews the Big Dig's history, stakeholders, and governance Examines the project's management scope, scheduling, and cost management-including project delays and cost overruns Analyzes the Big Dig's risk management and quality management Reveals how to build a sustainable project through integration and change introduction
Megaprojects and Risk: An Anatomy of Ambition
by Bent Flyvbjerg Werner Rothengatter Nils BruzeliusPromoters of multi-billion dollar land-use development megaprojects systematically misinform parliaments, the public and the media in order to get them approved and built. This book not only explores these issues, but suggests practical solutions drawing on theory and scientific evidence from the several hundred projects in twenty nations and five continents. It is of interest to students, scholars, planners, economists, auditors, politicians and concerned citizens.
Megaregional China (Routledge Research in Sustainable Planning and Development in Asia)
by Richard HuThis book unravels China’s new megaregional structure, new megaregional planning and development, new megaregional governance, and new regional planning system. It draws upon a diversity of megaregional cases: city clusters of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, Yangtze River delta region, and Greater Bay Area; and metropolitan circles of Chengdu, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Zhengzhou.Megaregions are the new form of Chinese-style urbanisation. China’s new discourse of ‘high-quality development’ and ‘new-type urbanisation’ is reshaping its megaregional strategy. Imbalance and fragmentation characterise the diversity of megaregions - developed or developing, coastal or inland. The central goal of megaregional planning and governance is to achieve integrated, balanced development of them. Hu challenges the official notion of ‘top-level design’ that dominates the planning, governance, and development of China’s megaregions. Instead, he argues for the importance of engaging nongovernmental stakeholders, rebalancing the government-market relationality, encouraging bottom-up initiatives, and enabling grassroots ingenuity.The volume offers the first and most comprehensive study of megaregional China in the new contexts of both national development and urban development. It will be of interest to anyone looking into urban and regional development, and Chinese studies.
Megatech: Technology in 2050
by Daniel FranklinWhat will the world of technology look like in 2050? And how will it affect the way we live? These are the big questions explored in MEGATECH: TECHNOLOGY IN 2050, a collection of thought-provoking insights imagining how big developments in technology might shape the future.The book invites us on a journey to the future, contemplating where and how far technology might take us. The industry's biggest leaders, academics, writers, and journalists—including Dr. Frank Wilzcek, Alastair Reynolds, and Melinda Gates—examine what the impact of technology might be in 2050 and consider the policies we might need, both to make the most of future opportunities and to tackle the environmental, economic, and social challenges ahead.MEGATECH is a book of big, bold ideas from a stellar line-up of prominent players in the tech world. It is required reading for anyone engaged with the interrelationships between technology, innovation, business, politics, and society.
Megathreats: Ten Dangerous Trends That Imperil Our Future, And How To Survive Them
by Nouriel Roubini"Read and pay attention" (Martin Wolf, the Financial Times): the bestselling author of Crisis Economics argues we are heading toward the worst economic catastrophe of our lifetimes, unless we can defend against ten terrifying threats. Renowned economist Nouriel Roubini was nicknamed &“Dr. Doom,&” until his prediction of the 2008 housing crisis and Great Recession came true--when it was too late. Now he is back with a much scarier prediction, one that we ignore at our peril. There are no fewer than ten overlapping, interconnected threats that are so serious, he calls them Megathreats. From the worst debt crisis the world has ever seen, to governments pumping out too much money, to borders that are blocked to workers and to many shipments of goods, to the rise of a new superpower competition between China and the U.S., to climate change that strikes directly at our most populated cities, we are facing not one, not two, but ten causes of disaster. There is a slight chance we can avoid them, if we come to our senses—but we must act now. In the 1970s, the U.S. faced stagflation: high rates of inflation combined with stagnant employment and growth. Today, we are heading toward a Great Stagflation that will make the 1970s look like a walk in the park.
Megathreats: The Ten Trends that Imperil Our Future, and How to Survive Them
by Nouriel Roubini'Roubini has surpassed even his high standards: the ten Megathreats he details are as scary as they are plausible. Forewarned is forearmed. Read and pay attention' Martin Wolf'Roubini cuts to the real problems like a hot knife through butter with a clarity of mind that is rare among economists. I have never seen a more lucid and nuanced account of our financial condition. Not only will the reader be better off after reading this book, but the world will be a better place - Nassim Nicholas Taleb'We are heading towards the worst economic catastrophe of our lifetimes - unless we can defend against ten terrifying threats.World renowned economist Nouriel Roubini was nicknamed Dr. Doom until his warnings of the 2008 housing crisis and Great Financial Crisis came true - when it was too late. Now he's back with much scarier predictions, ones that we ignore at our peril. There are no fewer than ten overlapping, interconnected threats that are so serious Roubini describes them as megathreats - with each one potentially amplifying the others. From the worst debt crisis the world has ever seen, to governments pumping out too much money and causing inflation, to borders that are blocked to workers and many shipments of goods, to the rise of a new superpower competition between China and the US, to pandemics and climate change that strike directly at our most populated cities, to the threat to jobs coming from AI, we are facing not one, not two, but ten causes of disaster. Today, we are heading towards a Great Stagflation that will make the 1970s look moderate. There is a slight chance we can avoid it, if we come to our senses - but we must act now.