Megatrends Asia.

• Author: Kreyche, Gerald F.

by John Naisbitt / Simon and Schuster, 1996, pp. 299, $24.00

Reviewed by GERALD F. KREYCHE American Thought Editor USA Today, and Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, DePaul University Chicago, IL

Increasingly, Asia is where the world economic action will be, and John Naisbitt, author of Megatrends and Megatrends 2000, argues for the reasons why. After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor netted them no aircraft carriers, their high command said they were afraid they awoke a sleeping giant. They did, but now Europe and the U.S. are witnessing Asia play that role economically. Asia is well on its way toward full modernization, but without becoming too Westernized. Asia wants to retain its own traditions, which involve Confucianism, Buddhism, Shintoism, and Islam, while most Western values are considered bankrupt.

Eight major trends are analyzed to shore up the author's stand, including the move from nation-states to networks. The huge population of China, its clans, and ethnic Chinese everywhere else already are making this possible. The various peoples consider themselves Asiatics, rather than Japanese, Thai, Filipinos, etc., an equivalent, but more powerful, counterpart to the European Union.

Another trend is the economic move from exporting to internal consumption of goods, as the rising middle class starts spending its largess. With an enormous population, this middle class has a larger base to draw from and service.

Market forces are freeing individuals from the present excess of government control, which constitutes another influential trend. The forces of privatization are moving full speed ahead. As was true in the West...