The Great Reset

[TEW]

 

For decades, progressives have attempted to use climate change to justify liberal policy changes. But their latest attempt - a new proposal called the "Great Reset" - is the most ambitious and radical plan the world has seen in more than a generation.

At a virtual meeting earlier in June hosted by the World Economic Forum, some of the planet's most powerful business leaders, government officials and activists announced a proposal to "reset" the global economy. Instead of traditional capitalism, the high-profile group said the world should adopt more socialistic policies, such as wealth taxes, additional regulations and massive Green New Deal-like government programs. 

"Every country, from the United States to China, must participate, and every industry, from oil and gas to tech, must be transformed," wrote Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, in an article published on WEF's website. "In short, we need a 'Great Reset' of capitalism." 

Schwab also said that "all aspects of our societies and economies" must be "revamped," "from education to social contracts and working conditions." 

Joining Schwab at the WEF event was Prince Charles, one of the primary proponents of the Great Reset; Gina Gopinath, the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund; António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations; and CEOs and presidents of major international corporations, such as Microsoft and BP. 

Activists from groups such as Greenpeace International and a variety of academics also attended the event or have expressed their support for the Great Reset. 

Although many details about the Great Reset won't be rolled out until the World Economic Forum meets in Davos in January 2021, the general principles of the plan are clear: The world needs massive new government programs and far-reaching policies comparable to those offered by American socialists such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in their Green New Deal plan.

Or, put another way, we need a form of socialism - a word the World Economic Forum has deliberately avoided using, all while calling for countless socialist and progressive plans.

"We need to design policies to align with investment in people and the environment," said the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Sharan Burrow. "But above all, the longer-term perspective is about rebalancing economies."

One of the main themes of the June meeting was that the coronavirus pandemic has created an important "opportunity" for many of the World Economic Forum's members to enact their radical transformation of capitalism, which they acknowledged would likely not have been made possible without the pandemic.

"We have a golden opportunity to seize something good from this crisis - its unprecedented shockwaves may well make people more receptive to big visions of change," said Prince Charles at the meeting, adding later, "It is an opportunity we have never had before and may never have again."

You might be wondering how these leaders plan to convince the world to completely alter its economy over the long run, since the COVID-19 pandemic most assuredly won't remain a crisis forever. The answer is that they've already identified another "crisis" that will require expansive government intervention: Climate change.

"The threat of climate change has been more gradual [than COVID-19]-but its devastating reality for many people and their livelihoods around the world, and its ever greater potential to disrupt, surpasses even that of Covid-19," Prince Charles said.

Of course, these government officials, activists and influencers can't impose a systemic change of this size on their own. Which is why they have already started to activate vast networks of left-wing activists from around the world, who will throughout 2021 demand changes in line with the Great Reset.

According to the World Economic Forum, its 2021 Davos summit will include thousands of members of the Global Shapers Community, youth activists located in 400 cities across the planet. 

The Global Shapers program was involved in the widespread "climate strikes" of 2019, and more than 1,300 have already been trained by the Climate Reality Project, the highly influential, well-funded climate activist organization run by former Vice President Al Gore, who serves on the World Economic Forum's Board of Trustees.

For those of us who support free markets, the Great Reset is nothing short of terrifying. Our current crony capitalist system has many flaws, to be sure, but granting more power to the government agents who created that crony system and eroding property rights is not the best way forward. America is the world's most powerful, prosperous nation precisely because of the very market principles the Great Reset supporters loathe, not in spite of them. 

Making matters worse, the left has already proven throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that it can radically transform political realities in the midst of a crisis, so it's not hard to see how the Great Reset could eventually come to fruition.

Can you imagine George W. Bush or Bill Clinton printing trillions of dollars and mailing it to millions of people who didn't lose their jobs? This would have been unthinkable just a couple of decades ago. Today, this policy garners bipartisan support. 

Prince Charles was right: The present pandemic is a "golden opportunity" for radical change. And if Al Gore, Prince Charles and the rest of the World Economic Forum can convince enough people that attempting to stop climate change is also worth dramatically pushing humanity toward greater government control, then radical - and catastrophic - change is exactly what we're going to get.

The Hill

 

 

[TEW]

From The World Economic Forum itself:

COVID-19 lockdowns may be gradually easing, but anxiety about the world’s social and economic prospects is only intensifying. There is good reason to worry: a sharp economic downturn has already begun, and we could be facing the worst depression since the 1930s. But, while this outcome is likely, it is not unavoidable.

To achieve a better outcome, the world must act jointly and swiftly to revamp all aspects of our societies and economies, from education to social contracts and working conditions. Every country, from the United States to China, must participate, and every industry, from oil and gas to tech, must be transformed. In short, we need a "Great Reset” of capitalism.

There are many reasons to pursue a Great Reset, but the most urgent is COVID-19. Having already led to hundreds of thousands of deaths, the pandemic represents one of the worst public-health crises in recent history. And, with casualties still mounting in many parts of the world, it is far from over.

This will have serious long-term consequences for economic growth, public debt, employment, and human wellbeing. According to the Financial Times, global government debt has already reached its highest level in peacetime. Moreover, unemployment is skyrocketing in many countries: in the US, for example, one in four workers have filed for unemployment since mid-March, with new weekly claims far above historic highs. The International Monetary Fund expects the world economy to shrink by 3% this year – a downgrade of 6.3 percentage points in just four months.

All of this will exacerbate the climate and social crises that were already underway. Some countries have already used the COVID-19 crisis as an excuse to weaken environmental protections and enforcement. And frustrations over social ills like rising inequality – US billionaires’ combined wealth has increased during the crisis – are intensifying.

Left unaddressed, these crises, together with COVID-19, will deepen and leave the world even less sustainable, less equal, and more fragile. Incremental measures and ad hoc fixes will not suffice to prevent this scenario. We must build entirely new foundations for our economic and social systems.

The level of cooperation and ambition this implies is unprecedented. But it is not some impossible dream. In fact, one silver lining of the pandemic is that it has shown how quickly we can make radical changes to our lifestyles. Almost instantly, the crisis forced businesses and individuals to abandon practices long claimed to be essential, from frequent air travel to working in an office.

Likewise, populations have overwhelmingly shown a willingness to make sacrifices for the sake of health-care and other essential workers and vulnerable populations, such as the elderly. And many companies have stepped up to support their workers, customers, and local communities, in a shift toward the kind of stakeholder capitalism to which they had previously paid lip service.

Clearly, the will to build a better society does exist. We must use it to secure the Great Reset that we so badly need. That will require stronger and more effective governments, though this does not imply an ideological push for bigger ones. And it will demand private-sector engagement every step of the way.
 

The Great Reset agenda would have three main components. The first would steer the market toward fairer outcomes. To this end, governments should improve coordination (for example, in tax, regulatory, and fiscal policy), upgrade trade arrangements, and create the conditions for a "stakeholder economy.” At a time of diminishing tax bases and soaring public debt, governments have a powerful incentive to pursue such action.

Moreover, governments should implement long-overdue reforms that promote more equitable outcomes. Depending on the country, these may include changes to wealth taxes, the withdrawal of fossil-fuel subsidies, and new rules governing intellectual property, trade, and competition.

The second component of a Great Reset agenda would ensure that investments advance shared goals, such as equality and sustainability. Here, the large-scale spending programs that many governments are implementing represent a major opportunity for progress. The European Commission, for one, has unveiled plans for a €750 billion ($826 billion) recovery fund. The US, China, and Japan also have ambitious economic-stimulus plans.

Rather than using these funds, as well as investments from private entities and pension funds, to fill cracks in the old system, we should use them to create a new one that is more resilient, equitable, and sustainable in the long run. This means, for example, building "green” urban infrastructure and creating incentives for industries to improve their track record on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics.

The third and final priority of a Great Reset agenda is to harness the innovations of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to support the public good, especially by addressing health and social challenges. During the COVID-19 crisis, companies, universities, and others have joined forces to develop diagnostics, therapeutics, and possible vaccines; establish testing centers; create mechanisms for tracing infections; and deliver telemedicine. Imagine what could be possible if similar concerted efforts were made in every sector.

The COVID-19 crisis is affecting every facet of people’s lives in every corner of the world. But tragedy need not be its only legacy. On the contrary, the pandemic represents a rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world to create a healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous future.
 

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/now-is-the-time-for-a-great-reset/

 

What could possibly go wrong?

[PoconoDon]

DA TOVARISCH!!

[Gannan]

Ok no one gets to call me crazy for my Trump will try to be dictator for life posts anymore. 

[TEW]

31 minutes ago, Gannan said:

Ok no one gets to call me crazy for my Trump will try to be dictator for life posts anymore. 

Not sure what that has to do with these articles.

It is indeed insane if you think Trump is going to be dictator for life.

On the other hand, it is also insane if you do not believe that this agenda is real and is spearheaded by extremely powerful people who have control of vast resources and influence over both international and national business and political institutions.

[Seventy_Yard_FG]

I think we all know COVID isn't the only crazy thing that's going to happen in this century.  COVID is just the start. 

 

I envy the Boomers who got to enjoy their time from the 40s until maybe another 10 years from now.  They basically got to avoid WWII and WWI and enjoy the fruits of American prosperity after WWII their whole lives, then will get to retire on the backs of their children 

And now leave messes like potentially what TEW is saying

[Gannan]

3 hours ago, TEW said:

Not sure what that has to do with these articles.

It is indeed insane if you think Trump is going to be dictator for life.

On the other hand, it is also insane if you do not believe that this agenda is real and is spearheaded by extremely powerful people who have control of vast resources and influence over both international and national business and political institutions.

Are you saying Trumps agenda isn’t real?

[TEW]

8 minutes ago, Gannan said:

Are you saying Trumps agenda isn’t real?

I’m saying there is zero chance he has any intention of being dictator for life, and anyone who does believe this is so mentally insane that they ought to be institutionalized.

[Gannan]

1 hour ago, TEW said:

I’m saying there is zero chance he has any intention of being dictator for life, and anyone who does believe this is so mentally insane that they ought to be institutionalized.

How do you know? He’s publicly stated, more than once he will seek a 3rd and 4th term. I just want to be clear. You think he’s lying or kidding?

[TEW]

22 minutes ago, Gannan said:

How do you know? He’s publicly stated, more than once he will seek a 3rd and 4th term. I just want to be clear. You think he’s lying or kidding?

He’s clearly joking.

Now, do you have anything to add that is remotely related to the topic of this thread since it has absolutely nothing to do with Trump?

[TEW]

2 hours ago, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

I think we all know COVID isn't the only crazy thing that's going to happen in this century.  COVID is just the start. 

 

I envy the Boomers who got to enjoy their time from the 40s until maybe another 10 years from now.  They basically got to avoid WWII and WWI and enjoy the fruits of American prosperity after WWII their whole lives, then will get to retire on the backs of their children 

And now leave messes like potentially what TEW is saying

What’s interesting is the exploitation of this tragedy to try to implement a global level transformation of the economy since they can’t seem to get it done on popularity or merit.

It’s disgusting and disgraceful, but I will admit, the ambition is impressive.

[Gannan]

9 minutes ago, TEW said:

He’s clearly joking.

Now, do you have anything to add that is remotely related to the topic of this thread since it has absolutely nothing to do with Trump?

So you think it’s more likely that Prince Charles and Al Gore and the rest of the Illuminati do away with individual governments and usher in new world order in the name of climate change than Trump, the power hungry narcissist actually means what he says? Mmm Kay.

[TEW]

19 minutes ago, Gannan said:

So you think it’s more likely that Prince Charles and Al Gore and the rest of the Illuminati do away with individual governments and usher in new world order in the name of climate change than Trump, the power hungry narcissist actually means what he says? Mmm Kay.

 

I don't think they'll do away with national governments, no.  They will continue to use incrementalism, as they have for decades. They'll use trade agreements, treaties, etc.  National governments will remain but be increasingly beholden to binding deals which funnel them into policy that local populations don't want or like. And there is nothing conspiratorial about it.  Read it for yourself, I posted the WEF link. Unlike Trump joking about a 4th term, these people are very serious and have spent billions of dollars and decades of their life working towards these ends.

[Dawkins 20]

Do we really need to smear Trump feces all over every single thread?

As it pertains to the topic at hand, how does automation factor into all of this? What happens when a sizable chunk of the population is rendered obsolete via AI and automated jobs, and how bad does it get? 50% of the work force? 75%? I feel like this is a huge problem that's coming whether we like it or not. 

[TEW]

Just now, Dawkins 20 said:

Do we really need to smear Trump feces all over every single thread?

As it pertains to the topic at hand, how does automation factor into all of this? What happens when a sizable chunk of the population is rendered obsolete via AI and automated jobs, and how bad does it get? 50% of the work force? 75%? I feel like this is a huge problem that's coming whether we like it or not. 

Onto welfare they go. Hence the recent talk of universal basic income. 

[Seventy_Yard_FG]

The problem is these elites don't see regular people as being deserving of rights.  They see the globe as theirs, and this climate change as a problem brought on by us who are merely cattle to them to be herded and culled to keep their globe pristine and how they want it.

[Dave Moss]

31 minutes ago, Dawkins 20 said:

Do we really need to smear Trump feces all over every single thread?

As it pertains to the topic at hand, how does automation factor into all of this? What happens when a sizable chunk of the population is rendered obsolete via AI and automated jobs, and how bad does it get? 50% of the work force? 75%? I feel like this is a huge problem that's coming whether we like it or not. 

Until the machines start fixing themselves I’m not worried.

[VanHammersly]

So a bunch of people want climate change policies enacted and they had a conference call about it?  Has anyone alerted the media?

[The_Omega]

Our commie Pope is all in

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/here-s-the-pope-s-prescription-for-resetting-the-global-economy-in-response-to-covid-19/

[TEW]

46 minutes ago, VanHammersly said:

So a bunch of people want climate change policies enacted and they had a conference call about it?  Has anyone alerted the media?

Considering Joe Biden's campaign slogan of "build back better" is literally exactly the same as the UN's slogan for the great reset three months before he first said it, yeah, I'd say so...

[TEW]

It's amazing to me the reflexiveness with which some in here responded to this. The lunatics somehow turn it into yet another Trump thread and the leftists don't take their own leaders seriously.

[Bill]

17 minutes ago, TEW said:

It's amazing to me the reflexiveness with which some in here responded to this. The lunatics somehow turn it into yet another Trump thread and the leftists don't take their own leaders seriously.

At what point did you expect leftists to have a rational debate about a topic and not pivot away?

[we_gotta_believe]

36 minutes ago, The_Omega said:

Our commie Pope is all in

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/here-s-the-pope-s-prescription-for-resetting-the-global-economy-in-response-to-covid-19/

If you were around back then you'd probably call Jesus a commie too.

[we_gotta_believe]

26 minutes ago, TEW said:

It's amazing to me the reflexiveness with which some in here responded to this. The lunatics somehow turn it into yet another Trump thread and the leftists don't take their own leaders seriously.

it's you and your posts that nobody takes seriously anymore

[TEW]

12 minutes ago, Bill said:

At what point did you expect leftists to have a rational debate about a topic and not pivot away?

Point taken.