BELGRADE, THURSDAY

TERRITORY, RESOURCES AND treasure are out, stadium events are in, says a political philosopher who believes mankind is going through a transition so profound that when it is over what remains will not recognize what went before.

Hegel Bertrand of the Swift Twain Institute in Ontario says his latest research confirms his theory that humans always look back and rarely see the future for what it will actually be. “Our capacity to produce has become so profound, that mere manufacture is no longer enough to give a country the edge any more; and resources are what they are. Remember, you still can’t eat coal or drink oil. If you have it you have to use it, or sell it. If it is all you have, you definitely have to sell it. And with the world’s population beginning to decline, land just won’t be as important as it once was for a while. It is rare now for countries to be seeking expansion. Mainly they’re looking for population. Only Donald Trump seems to want land – and he’s real estate magnate, isn’t he? So.

“What is in really short supply these days is talent, particularly musical talent. And in a world increasingly focused on recreation, the shortage of this kind of talent means that nations will inevitably wind up fighting for it. A single concert tour by a popular artist can boost an economy by a such an amount that it can’t be ignored. It’s extraordinary. One Taylor Swift gig can turn the fortunes of a major city around. She belongs to a very exclusive club of performers who can do that. Supply and demand says the war for her and others like her has already begun.”