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THE HERALD OUTLOOK Saturday March 1M0 Page Book review Postindustrial age will dislocate Canadians By REGINALD STUART Americans insist that rather than await what tomorrow brings they can make of it what they will This optimism explains the array of futureoriented cults sects literature and consultants including astrologers that litter the United States Marvin Cetron of Forecasting International and Omni science writer Owen Davies have produced American Renaissance Our Life at the Turn of the 21st Century McClelland and Stewart 320 pages in the tradition of Future Shock and Megatrends They argue that current despair and woe notwithstanding the United States will be a richer nap- pier society by 2000 Canadians can profit from this book despite its American focus The increase of women in the workforce growing cultural diver computerization growth of service and decline of manufactur ing industries the aging of our populations changing family values and many other trends app ly equally to both countries The sections on science and technology have a geewhi quality but only The AIDS Plague bogs down in technicalities To take the two themes the conclu about the Impact of robotics and computers for social economic and political realms are compelling Unions will shrink as workers disperse to commute by electronics instead of automobilesd And demand will quicken for the technical skills that have emerged over the past decade DISLOCATION Canadians and Americans will suffer dislocations during this march into the post industrial age Bluecollar workers farmers and middlemanagers who lose jobs may never find equivalent employ ment The authors whistle to keep their courage up at times They are pessimistic about the innovative skills of American manufacturers for example citing the history of transistor and video technology And every piece of good news has its dark side Smoother global trade will accompany the increas ing power of multinational and regional blocs Our wonder technology will be easy prey for special interest ter rorists Miracle health care is enormously expensive and ailing elders may be denied treatment in favor of the productive young as is the case in Britain today Students should read the sections on changing employment patterns Millions of new jobs will require advanced skills Current high schoolers should consider a broadly based humanities scien tific and technical education into college levels Otherwise they may wallow in electronic sweat shops tapping keyboards with lit tie hope of advancement And the rhythm of schooling will shift toward lifelong patterns rather than immersion of the young Other forecasts draw from daily headlines Tax reform if rendered politically palatable should allow each country to cope with its deficit incubus Finance Minister Michael Wilsons general sales tax is a cousin of the Value Added Tax the authors believe will come to the United States Both nations have a rising environment activism con related to scientific development and a growing day care lobby of working parents single or otherwise Canadians will pale at the pro spect of national dissolution The authors venture that disenchanted western Canada may well secede before Quebec insists on its own in dependence A Canadian American merger would build upon current economic but not really benefit either country beyond that they add Will we end with a whimper not a bang If so we are surely worth more than four states on a redesigned American flag The comments on Canada form a small part of this book but reflect ambiguous American images about our country On the one hand we seem stable affluent similar On the other hand we are centrifugal envious of American plenty or low consumer prices strident about our differences GEORGETOWN CUSTOM CAR SOUND THE CAR STEREO EXPERTS Fashions For The Young At Hear MAIN ST S GEORGETOWN Across From Church APPLE Auto Class WINDSHIELD REPAIRS W Handle All Insurance Claims 8731655 MO MARYS Dressmaking Alterations NOW OPEN DRESSES LADIES SUITS BLOUSES ALL FABRICS INCLUDING LEATHER THE OLDE BANK MAIN ST S 8736028 WILDCARDS This is a short range future history even though the authors make no attempt to chronicle events over the next decade History has a way however of confounding forecasters whose reputations usually rest on one or two decent stabs in a sea of earnest nonsense Wild cards always lurk In the shadows The authors portrait of American society in the year 2000 rests on beliefs about change over time The forecasts vary in reasonableness and one wonders how deep into society any of these trends will penetrate and may have become intoxicated by their aginations The final section on values is little more than a pastiche of modern living columns from weekend magazines And their argument about century creativity betrays ail the intellectual rigor of cocktail party chatter That said this book is an in formative and stimulating read Amidst the gloom about drugs economic depression social tur moil uneducated graduates and politicians who eschew leadership for popularity a profession of faith in the strength of the American character is refreshing Canadians would surely welcome a revivified happier United States by the year 2000 just as we would shrink from a grasp ing global colossus Even across the border we have a stake in that society like it or not And Cetron and are right it seems to me The merits of forecasting aside we must tackle our pro blems and try to manage rather than merely suffer history Reginald C Stuart is the Dean of Humanities and Sciences at Mount Saint Vincent University Halifax N S March is Red Cross Month A United Way Agency SAME DAY TAX RETURNS 101 St Georgetown 8772217 Good service good coverage good price- Thats State Farm insurance ROBERT TAIT SB INSURANCE AGENCY LTD JRiii 174 Guelph St Georgetown 8731833 Like a good neighbor Slate Farm is there FARM LOOK GOOD FEEL GREAT Male and Female WORK THAT BODY STREET GEORGETOWN OPTICAL NO ONE 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