The talking heads and
chattering crowds of a recent DAVOS sought to better appreciate those
important PESTEL topics of today, the remainder of 2014 and beyond.
So theoretically providing for greater shared thinking and group
impetus toward meeting many of the modern-day regional and global
issues.
Challenges
re-orientated into opportunities via “the mother of invention”.
One such, not generated
from DAVOS but instead the suburbs of London with
investment-auto-motives, is the idea that commercial templates can be
continually evolved globally using the concept of 'Simulacrum', a
latin term which underpins philosophical theorems about copies of
reality.
Referred to with
increasing clarity as the human time-line expanded it has been a
prime subject discussed by many, from Plato to Neitzsche, but perhaps
best known by the post-modern Jean Baudrillard's mid 20th
century writings.
His French
intellectualism essentially directed at the growing cultural
influence American popular culture, from Walt Disney's
transmogrification of celluloid fantasy into physical realities
within set commercial entities of the cinema and theme-park, to the
the adoption of 'pop-u-lux' influenced architecture.
Today,
investment-auto-motives believes that a new chapter of commercial
simulacrum is upon us as aspirational populations from EM nations
seek to themselves replicate the materialism and lifestyle
satisfaction seen across the west previously.
Such an expansionism of
newly created evolved and alternative realities will of course be
exploited in tandem with the already massively influential
'mind-shifting' internet and the new concept of “the web of
things”.
This new era, like so
much to date, will be heavily influenced by the USA's West Coast and
could be argued as a continued cultural hegemony.
However, today's much
changed times with the strength and coalescence of EM nations
(seeking to redress the cultural balance) will add a new layer of
political, commercial and referential complexity; but with it bring
new opportunities to be captured.
The Shifting Middle -
One prime topic covered
at DAVOS, amongst that of corporate cash-piles to discredited general
government has been the ideology of “the shifting middle”. A
matter of a perceived new dislocations between the global
middle-classes, whereby the relatively high societal wealth once
enjoyed by North Americans, Europeans and Japanese is notably
diminished vis a vis the much improved fortunes of the emergent
middle-classes of EM nations. Also recognising that although the
growth strides of those acronym groups (whether BRICs, MINTS or
CIVETS) though presently more subdued have themselves sought to
reduce input costs by expanding activities and export opportunities
in other countries beyond.
So testing times for
international relations as the global influence of what were the
economic giants is comparatively diminished, as The Economist states
that now the top 30 EM countries represent 40% of global GDP.
New Economic Order -
Very understandably,
the re-surfacing of protectionist mentalities amongst the BRICs,
MINTS and CIVETS was born during the US induced Financial Crisis,
with many of the once collapsed Asian Tiger economies on firmer
economic footings in areas such as national debt, trade balances and
critically growth platforms that seek to avoid 'boom and bust'
repetition; including much greater control of what constitutes
conservative models of intra-national debt financing across housing,
white and brown goods, automobiles etc. Many EM nations no doubt
today quietly gloat over the new economic growth disparity between
East and West; and what they see as the crumbling of previous western
financial authority.
Internationalist Angst
-
Given their own
histories and recent events, convincing many of the what are now
fundamentally much stronger EM nations who are still cautious of
western agenda setting (and subsequent “real-politik”) will be
tough. “Once bitten twice shy, many times bitten very very
protective”.
Since they are
constituted of and led by people, countries obviously act like human
beings and will become separatist if banished from the international
community, threatened or indeed subtly but powerfully persecuted.
This no doubt still the
view of China, given that the Opium Wars and Japanese Invasion are
still deep in the psyche of the PRC as is the later privation
suffered. Hence unsurprisingly, given its viewpoint and recognition
of the value of its massive population, it in turn since the 1980s
has sought what its sees as a proportionately greater JV advantage
from each individual incoming Triad-based firms seeking in-market
penetration. It would only participate in global capitalism – seen
as its previous undoing – if it set the terms. Perhaps only Germany
given greater respect for its continuous industrial prowess, the
similarity of separatist historical suffering and socialist-leaning
attitude.
Indeed, China very
probably sees Germany as the capitalist ideal given the manner in
which social fairness appears to prevail; as seen by the constructs
of: the nuclear family, community activities and indeed corporate supervisory boards. Whilst still existent (as with wealthy
industrialist families) the reduced obviousness of social hierarchy
and so inter-class friction has arguably led to a betterment of
educational standards for all, and so increased the population's contribution to overall national productivity.
[NB this is neither a pro-EM nor anti 'olde world' stance, since ultimately all nation's power constructs are essentially the same].
[NB this is neither a pro-EM nor anti 'olde world' stance, since ultimately all nation's power constructs are essentially the same].
Yet as for the here and
now, China like Russia, obviously seeks to retain influence over
neighbouring nations and historically allied countries. Critically
many internal leaders and inhabitants sees its own cultural pillars –
the values by which privation has been battled through self-reliance
- as threatened by the liberal and weakening “western global
agenda”. Hence Vladimir Putin's retained power as a Russian
“strongman”, and choice of an open but cautious Xi Jinping by the
CPC Polit-Bureau.
Beyond Internationalist
Angst -
Whilst this is obvious
so, without full appreciation of the broader issues and facts regards
international relations a “blame game” can all too easily surface
between what could become rival world hemispheres, north vs south,
and west vs east; this in turn crystallising Orwellian notions of
powerful separatist regions (ie Oceana, Eurasia and Eastasia).
Whilst this has not
arisen, populist tensions did indeed grow during the EM dominated
early 2000s period, as seen previously with the BPO 'off-shoring'
trend; which ironically by its very nature is a key feature of global
capitalism.
Thankfully any such
simplistic political recoil has itself been partly disarmed as those
prime EM nations themselves suffered as a consequence of western
economic contraction. So seeking a range of partial to possibly
painful reforms so as to re-set internal competitiveness.
Today major focus once
again is upon the power-houses of the USA and China. The former
seeking not to derail its recent improved 'turnaround' performance,
and the latter charting and testing its roadmap for continued
transition.
Thus, in this context,
any simplistic (and what internationalists describe as xenophobic)
perspective and rhetoric is flawed.
Instead, to diffuse the
possibility of old and new tensions, ever deeper insights must be
gleaned as to how a new pan-regional rising-tide may be created;
which likewise metaphorically lifts all nations' boats.
A New Era for Cultural
Glocal-isation ? -
Herein,
investment-auto-motives cannot possibly offer an immediate panacea to
such internationalist tensions; but instead proffers the notion that
'glocalisation' should continue to create various “glocalisation
streams” ranging from the purity of reverential cultural
traditional, to a range of formulae for (typically post-modern)
cultural hybridisation.
What is today the oft
over-used, often ill-considered term “glocal-isation” ostensibly
came into general use during the late 1980s and 1990s, a suitable
time lag after the final decay of what had been European colonialism
and the need to alter viewpoints about American 'imperialism'.
Importantly it was the umbrella for new thinking (by western
corporations) as to how to maintain local market influence by
altering the premis of their regional business models' activity
chains to become closer to the fundamental requirements of the region
and gain greater influence.
As seen by the efforts
of various FMCG companies in Latin America and Asia, the process
necessarily continues and must become ever more sensitive and so
insightful and so influential.
Within this world of
materialistic consumption, western foodstuffs, personal care items
and (faked) branded clothing has played by far the most powerful
role.
Whether it was a South
Korean child of the 1960s cherishing a can of Coca-Cola, or today a
middle-aged woman in a Brazilian favella purchasing 'European'
personal care products, the desire by individuals to feel as if their
lives are improving through consumption (for status or comfort) is
today a “global village” imperative.
And no doubt, as
experienced in the still notionally advanced Triad nations with
advancement of vinyl record, cassette tape, CD, DVD and down-load,
Marshall McLuhan's theories regards “the medium as the message”
referring to consumed style over substance, will inevitably be the
case as EM nations prosper.
McLuhan's 1960s
conceptualisation of “the global village” which at the time was
prescribed upon international telephone cables, jet-powered aircraft
and the promise of satellite connectivity – fundamental to his
early prediction of the web - has over the years created the perfect
environment for not just a metaphysical interpretation of the term,
but the endemically post-modern realisation of what may be called
“cultural streaming”.
“Cross-Cultural Streaming”
-
Over the latter half of
the 20th century some 'futurologists' have recognised the
concept that one emergent, dominating trend is often accompanied by a
counter-trend. Whilst experienced in many fields from scientific to
sociological, it is in the latter that it becomes most evident. This
very probably surfacing as 'individualists' (once predominately the
young, but now across all age groups) seek to retain their
self-valued separateness by going against the new norm and seeking
out new adapted, adopted or over-laid identities to do so.
Inevitably over time
such individualist actions become ever more mainstream as others copy
the originators to acquire their own supposed 'individualism', such
mass adoption prompting new incentive for exploration and
self-recreation by the originators.
With the socio-economic
boom years of the 1990s and 2000s, a fortunate segment of young and
middle aged people from within the Triad region were able to travel
internationally for leisure and education. And though not quite
experiencing the culture-shock of globe-trotting 18th
century sailors, or indeed the migrant masses of the 19th
century, were able to absorb the influences of what foreign cultures.
And though their social histories and mentalities have invariably
been moulded and 'modernised' by western influence, the apposite
counter-trends have arguably re-enforced local identities; both for
commercial gain in tourism, but also to re-affirm self-identity
within an increasingly homogenised world.
To such an extent that
western youth culture itself has now long been a hybridised milieu of
interwoven cultural facets. The most obvious being the 24/7
cyber-connected 18-35 year olds who brandish the simulacrum of a
“long lost” Maori or Amazonian tribal tattoos down one arm.
[NB there is one saying
derived from Victorian middle-class circles which states that “if a
man cannot make a mark on life he makes a mark upon himself”,
presumably to re-affirm personal existence. Today this belief is
rare, yet given the disillusionment of today's western university
leavers - educated but lacking opportunity – it is little surprise
that the personal signification of the tattoo trend took such hold].
Cultural Fragmentation
vs Economic Centricism -
More than ever, today
we see how people, followed by commercialism seek to interweave
sensitive (and possibly insensitive) forms of cultural hybridisation.
This across what historically have been very different ethnic groups
in very different countries / territories.
And parallel to such
populist social hybridisation achieved through the advent of expanded
global trade, travel, mixed relationships and cultural curiosity, has
been the undoubted worldwide dominance of the American economic
template.
Western derived macro
and micro economics have unified the industrious and productive
efforts of billions of people, and whilst there are still variances
in general accounting rules (such as financial year-end dates) the
fact is that such consolidation of an economic status quo will be the
business basis for creation and exploitation of culturally informed
(or exploited) activities.
Thus whilst Davos is
indeed a truly useful meeting place to become made aware of broad
trend PESTEL issues, Switzerland stands as remote as possible
relative to the rest of the world. Instead investment-auto-motives
directs such thought leaders to look in a meta-physical manner to the
low-land coastal plains of the USA, California specifically, and the
outer reaches of Los Angeles.
For it is here that the
culture industry was effectively born – Simulacrum a central tool -
and from which it's tentacles had worldwide influence.
'Californiacation'
Revisited -
At the end of 2013 a
web-log trilogy reviewed the concept of 'Californiacation' regards
Europe's master-piece classic cars. A generalised notion by which
this state's most wealthy individuals and foundations have been able
to 'suck-in' various high-culture foreign artefacts .
But of course it cannot
be denied that in proportionate comparison with regards to the far
more influential and critically commercially linked matter of 20th
century mass culture - and specifically its global exportation -
California has been the leading actor on the American stage. From the
early film studios set within the original 'HOLLYWOODLAND' hills
which sprawled and expanded LA, to the advent of the silicon-chip
revolution that established Silicon Valley, to the latter
internet-based and eco-directed business models formed from Palo
Alto, California has been perhaps the most important cultural hub of
both the 20th and 21st centuries.
Of course the previous
'American Century' was build upon the internationalist achievements
of many goods and services companies. most from all over the “lower
48”, their in-roads primarily made across Latin America, Japan,
S.Korea and remaining S.E. Asia; obviously the influence of US
military might (whether enacted, threatened or perceived) allowing
for initial foot-holes that were expanded with the mutuality of
international trade.
This stage was set many
decades ago, leading to the near ubiquitous worldwide presence of
Coca-Cola, Marlborough cigarettes, McDonald's burgers and of course
the avid visual and aural consumption of what are the most powerful
subliminal architects of the human mind: cinema, television and the
world-wide-web; with now enmeshed brands such as Google, Amazon,
Facebook and Apple able to provide a connective immediacy to the
powerful reach of “Glocalised Americana”.
However, along with the
new power shifts of EM countries comes their own populations desire
to both emulate the 'American Dream', yet also participate within it
through a bifurcated, hybridised manner; one in which goods and
services include national and regional substance, so much more than
simply a tokenist gesture via branding palettes or sales-force
patter. Something which instead includes the appropriate credible
formulaic mix.
This,
investment-auto-motives believes is recognised by a new band of
industry orientated cultural theorists.
But moreover,
investment-auto-motives believes that (inevitably) given idolatry
offered to the automobile by well established and newer EM nations,
that a new era of glocalised auto-cultural meaning will be created.
To Follow -
Part 2 of this weblog
undertakes a basic review of how California, and specifically the
multi-media production house Disney-Pixar through its Cars and Cars 2
animated films and merchandising will lead America's continued foray
into an ever attractive array of economically developing foreign
markets. Seeking to seep into the auto-cultural hearts and minds of
new generations via ever greater and necessarily more sensitive.
''glocalisation'.
