Inertia is a powerful law of physics. A body in motion stays in motion until energy is applied in a new direction. It’s what we’ve experienced in the geopolitical and economic realm for decades. Momentum was building toward a world with ever-increasing centralized control and authority. National government’s power was expanded. Financial institutions became “too big to fail.” Amazon, Facebook, and Apple have become dominant players in retail, social media, and smartphones.
Then something happened. In Europe it was Brexit. In the Middle East it was the Arab Spring. In the United States it was the election of Donald Trump. Each of these were polarizing events; each in different areas of the world; each impacting different cultures. Together they have created enough energy to disrupt the momentum of centralism and much more. The principles of localism (making decisions in communities vs. national governments), separation of powers (check and balances), and jurisdiction (proper authority) are all storming back into the social conscience.
Citizens are questioning the wisdom of world leaders and re-examining their own beliefs about who should have the proper jurisdiction to make decisions that impact their states, provinces, territories, and local communities. You can feel the shift. It is not subtle. It has caused tension between those who embrace the disruption of inertia, and those who want to nudge the momentum back onto its previous course.
The question is, has the shift in momentum reached critical mass? Can the previous path be restored? Increasingly, the answer suggests that we are in a new era. Previous megatrends across social, economic, and geopolitical spheres cannot be restored. Instead, new megatrends will be defined over the next decade that will carry us well into the 21st century. It will take five to ten years at least to establish a stable path.
It is difficult to imagine the implications of this level of disruption, or to begin to quantify the impact. Both the short and long-term economic impact are in question. Analysis ranges from a new era of prosperity to a full-blown financial system meltdown. Who is right? What role does the emerging world of cryptocurrencies (real currencies, not ICO scams) and blockchain technology have in moving the needle toward either scenario? How will all of this impact the price of gold and the price of silver in the years ahead?
Reality is, you can find newsletter writers and analysts to echo back to you whatever outcome that you want. Unbiased–and accurate–analysis is rare because removing bias and seeing the world for what it is rather that what was is very difficult.
The new megatrends will be established upon a new set of guiding principles. The question is, will the principles for their foundation be idealistic and relative, or results-proven and immutable? At OWNx, we prefer the latter. However, we also understand that everyone has a limited sphere of jurisdiction. As such, we live by example. Our part in applying energy to the emerging megatrends is in how we treat our clients. It is in the tools we provide and in the partnerships we form.
Smart, simple access to physical gold and silver is just the beginning. We have our eye on the megatrends and are intentionally and diligently aligning with them where they align with the principles both we and our clients share. It’s going to be an interesting decade ahead.