Dealing with the Loss of Technological Superiority

Dealing with the Loss of Technological Superiority

"The fall of an empire—the end of a polity, a socioeconomic order, a dominant culture, or the intertwined whole—looks more like a cascading series of minor, individually unimportant failures than a dramatic ending that appears out of the blue." Patrick Wyman

1. Technological superiority naturally diminishes over time as technologies spread around the world.

2. Cultural superiority, in some ways, is derived from technological superiority.

3. Loss of technological superiority presents challenges:

1. Capitalism and freedom move wealth and opportunity elsewhere (market)

2. Centers of power and cultural status are dispersed (culture)

3. Unequal laws and norms favoring the former powers are eliminated in favor of decentralized laws and norms (rules)

4. Coping Mechanism - Focus on cultural superiority.  

1. Greater acceptance of and integration of minorities and other cultures (cosmopolitanism) using lingering effects of former dominance (e.g. English language, banking system, pop culture).

2. Greater relative rewards for cultural achievements which are slower to be disrupted by loss of technological superiority; e.g. managers v engineers

3. Scapegoating/demonization of competition (Putin, Trump (also Xi, Modi, MBS, Khamenei, Orban)) as culturally backward rather than recognizing tradeoffs in focusing on minority rights and cosmopolitan values.  

5. Downward Spiral

1. Military overextension and impotence

2. Commercial overextension and impotence

3. Cosmopolitan political influences

4. Detachment from reality due to scapegoating

5. Reverse scapegoating and societal division.

6. Internecine conflict and Information warfare

7. Diminished cultural influence and soft power.