The old order, globalisation and the new era

THERE is a consensus among academics as well as those who watch policymaking across the globe that 2017 was a bad year. Why was that the case?

There are a number of reasons why the year that became history about two weeks ago is regarded so poorly. Five of these are worth reflecting on. The first is the near-collapse of the old order put in place in the years after the end of the Second World War. The second is the inability of what came to be called globalisation to spread evenly the rewards of steady growth. The third is related to the second. Fairly significant segments of the population in the West voted into office leaders who promised to kill the old order and re…