Trends and Trendiness at Davos
Today, more than ever, the World Economic Forum’s proud motto, “Committed to the improvement of the world,” seems disconnected from reality. How can you pretend to be acting to change the world if you no longer understand it?
The annual World Economic Forum is rightly perceived as a global “barometer.” But the superb sunshine in Davos these days cannot avoid the shadows of the financial crisis that have enveloped the world, casting an atmosphere of gloom and doom on this year’s meeting. Today, more than ever, the Forum’s proud motto, “Committed to the improvement of the world,” seems disconnected from reality. It is not confidence that dominates Davos 2008, but rather a sense of impotence, if not bewilderment, at the world’s growing complexity.
The annual World Economic Forum is rightly perceived as a global “barometer.” But the superb sunshine in Davos these days cannot avoid the shadows of the financial crisis that have enveloped the world, casting an atmosphere of gloom and doom on this year’s meeting. Today, more than ever, the Forum’s proud motto, “Committed to the improvement of the world,” seems disconnected from reality. It is not confidence that dominates Davos 2008, but rather a sense of impotence, if not bewilderment, at the world’s growing complexity.