The end of globalization?

Over the last few decades, globalization has created great wealth and brought millions out of poverty. Today, a combination of technology, politics, and social pressures seems to be reversing globalization. While the new technology will continue to create wealth, it will favor developed countries. The increasing regionalization of economies and differences in rates of growth will create instability and challenge international security arrangements.
The 2008 to 2009 global financial crisis slowed global trade. This led to early speculation that globalization was slowing. Yet global merchandise trade recovered relatively quickly, almost reaching pre-crisis levels by 2011. Speculation about slowing globalization ceased. But, manufacturing trade as a percentage of GDP actually flattened and then declined from 2011 to 2014. Services and financial flows followed the same pattern.
In its 2016 report, McKinsey Global Institute reported, “After 20 years of rapid growth, traditional flows of goods, services, and finance have declined relative to GDP.”
The combination of robotics, artificial intelligence, and 3D printing is moving production to automated factories. About 10 percent of all manufacturing is currently automated and this will rise to 25 percent by 2025.
To date, robotics have automated current processes but have not had a major impact on what we can make. In contrast, 3D printing will have two major impacts — mass customization and design for purpose.
The combination of robotics, artificial intelligence, and 3D Printing means “on-shoring,” returning manufacturing to the home market, is increasing rapidly.
According to analysts, more and more products will be produced locally which will steadily reduce the need for international trade in manufactured goods.

http://warontherocks.com/2016/08/the-end-of-globalization-the-international-security-implications/

 

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To predict the future of societal developments, follow the technology developments.

ISAAC ASIMOV: [...] all other changes throughout history have been irrelevant and trivial. [...]

PLOWBOY: You truly feel that all the major changes in history have been caused by science and technology?

ASIMOV: Those that have proved permanent—the ones that affected every facet of life and made certain that mankind could never go back again—were always brought about by science and technology. In fact, the same twin "movers" were even behind the other "solely" historical changes. Why, for instance, did Martin Luther succeed, whereas other important rebels against the medieval church—like John Huss—fail? Well, Luther was successful because printing had been developed by the time he advanced his cause. So his good earthy writings were put into pamphlets and spread so far and wide that the church officials couldn't have stopped the Protestant Reformation even if they had burned Luther at the stake. --The Isaac Asimov Interview; Mother Earth News, September/October 1980

 

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So far I've been on the butt-end of the globalized market, watching jobs leave the country, reducing opportunities for those in the manufacturing trades. On the other hand, I've also seen the evolution of some manufacturing practices, namely machining. Where once we were using manual machinery to produce our products, we now use CNCs. Funny thing is, now a manual machinist is hard to find, and they command a generous wage.

I firmly believe that no matter where technology goes, there will always be a need for human involvement. Those automated machines are impressive when they are running correctly, but they often require a lot of human intervention to keep them running.

 

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No man-made system is perfect,
the global system will collapse.
Because all systems are run by sinful humans.
God will destroy everything and replace by Himself to rule.