Page 25 - SA Chamber UK MONTHLY NEWSLETTER - March 2024

screen as another virus altogether could appear from nowhere and take the world
by storm.

10. The crowded space flag of a possible collision between rockets and satellites is
increasingly being talked about as many more nations want to enter the space
game in one way or another. The suggestion in some quarters is that a whole new

set of international laws governing space should be drafted and agreed, but whether
this comes about in today’s polarized world is doubtful. Meanwhile, the risks of the
global banking and communication systems being accidentally disrupted by fragments

arising from a collision in space are growing.

11. The artificial intelligence flag is still cloudy as people way up the pros and cons of AI. One
new development is that important members of the media and publishing industries

want to stop their material being used by AI websites in providing data to customers.
It is seen as an infringement of copyright. Nevertheless, the general opinion is that this
new technology will revolutionize our lives as much as the invention of the car, radio and

television did in the past.

The two mainframe global scenarios flowing out of these flags remain “Friendly Planet”
and “Gilded Cage”. In the Friendly Planet scenario, the world is fortunate enough to

inherit a new set of leaders who act in unison to resolve the Ukraine and Middle East
conflicts. They also co-ordinate their actions to reduce carbon emissions.

By contrast, in the Gilded Cage scenario the two wars go on and on, generating ever

more bloodshed and destruction of property. The West retreats into an enclave of its
own making and only sallies forth from the cage to fight for their interests where they
feel they are being threatened. Nothing is done about climate change while the number
of desperate migrants trying to squeeze through the bars of the Western cage goes

through the roof.

As I write this article, I believe we are currently heading along the path of the second
scenario. The G7 group of nations needs to work alongside the UN, as well as the

expanded community of BRICS, to redirect the momentum towards the Friendly Planet
scenario. Given a record global population of over eight billion, there has never been a

challenge like this one. No Planet B exists.

The South African flags
Against this tough global backdrop, there are five South African flags which I am

currently watching:

1. The crime and corruption flag where progress is being made to bring criminals to
justice but the statistics on murder and other serious crimes are still too ghastly to

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SA CHAMBER UK NEWSLETTER MARCH 2024