unsettling reports

Apparently India's economy is experiencing phenomenal growth, and economists are predicting the trend will continue until India is stronger than Italy, the UK, Japan and eventually the USA. I heard the news this morning while I was fiddling around with the radio via the internet and I found it strangely disturbing.

I don't know much about economy and I don't pay huge amounts of attention to the stock market or reserve bank declarations, but even I can feel the world shifting under my feet. The balance of wealth and power that I have known all my life is slipping. New powers are forming and gathering strength.

And why not? They have the world's largest populations - surely it's only fair that they have the economy and recognition to suit.

But what about the world as we know it? How will it change?

I'm not into imperialism, or colonialism, or Western supremacy but... it's been this way my whole life! Like it or not, Western domination of the world has benefited me, giving me prosperity and security. Will that change? Will we in the West lose our power? Will control of the world's resources be taken out of our hands? Will things stop going all our way?

Part of me is pleased - we are far too rich for our own good, and billions of people are far too poor.

Another part of me is unsettled - I like being rich more than I care to admit. (And will the billions of poor really benefit from all this economic growth anyway?)

Most troubling of all is my response! My own imperialistic tendencies have been exposed!