The polarization of society is no longer a theoretical construct that sociologists warn about. It is a palpable and seemingly undeniable reality. We have to grapple with it every day to swallow the information bombardment we are subjected to and avoid dying of indigestion. The dialectical battle between different political families—not ideological ones—makes sensible dialogue seem impossible, almost a relic of the past. Collaboration? Unthinkable. And solidarity between strangers? Science fiction.

Have you seen any elephants flying yet? In the information society, big data And of micro-stories, they say they reproduce like mushrooms in autumn. You can see that they happen when we blink. This isn't fake news, it's worse. It's the effect produced by the narrative crisis. It's the loss of the shared narrative, the one that is woven slowly, with the arguments of some and the counterarguments of others, and that defines the consensus on which democracy and its institutions are built. Without that point of union, the reality in which everyone lives becomes more distant. If it becomes too distant, we all end up thinking that others see strange things. What seems impossible to some is real to others. The philosopher Byung-Chul Han argues this in Infocracy (Ed. Taurus). And I buy it. In the field of economics, which is what I'm concerned with, the extreme gap between points of view puts the functioning of the main economic institutions at risk. From my point of view.

The succession of momentous events that were supposed to usher in a change of era is exhausting and frustrating. The financial crisis was supposed to act as a catalyst for shifting the economic paradigm. COVID-19 made us see the value of life in society and should have moved us away from individualism and materialism. The constant warnings about climate change were supposed to guide us toward a sustainable relationship with the Earth. And technological change was supposed to change everything. However, it seems that changes are rather scarce, except in one area. At the intersection of economics and geopolitics, there has indeed been a shift in the script that places us in a new era. The trade tensions of recent months are its most visible face.

We were warned. The new president of the United States wasn't here to sit idly by. Only the chosen few can make America great again in four years. He must be thinking, furrowing his brows, to get to work. But the impatience with which he's implementing his illiberal agenda has stunned half the world. It seems like nothing can stop him. But is that really the case? The uncertainty he's generated in 50 days and the risk of economic contraction already looming over the White House could ultimately slow him down.