Europe as degrowth harbinger
Europe spawned industrialism and the most dominant developmentalist and imperialist powers in history. The mad scramble of those powers for expansion of wealth and territory then spawned horrible wars.
Then, in regard to that scramble, Europe was overrun by the U.S. and China.
* * * *
Well, now it may be that some of the European countries are starting to transition away from the Western paradigm of growth, development, and a noxious and ruinous kind of “progress.” Some European countries might be starting to transition toward a chastened post-modern “settling back.” Toward lower population numbers. Toward degrowth. Toward leaving behind the rat race, getting off the treadmill. Whether consciously or not, taking the lead toward a better “greening of society” kind of progress.
As we all must, eventually.
[Trump is so reactionary in that respect, but it figures that the lead still-players like the United States will be very slow to comprehend where things will be headed. Trump’s growth-oriented ideology is particularly retrograde.]