At the same time, the distribution of wealth in the world seems to be more unequal nowadays than 20 years ago; the myth of the "new economy" has dissipated and corporate scandals in the affluent world show that cronyism and bad governance are a more complex phenomenon than is usually assumed and ascribed geographically; financial and currency crises have been recurrent in emerging markets and have produced economic and social havoc in not a few countries; trade liberalisation has primarily favoured rich countries, which preach what they do not practice; social fragmentation and exclusion have been rising both in rich and in poor countries; there is a sense of disorder and a rising tide of discontent and frustration in many parts of the world; non-conventional threats, the use of mass destruction in particular, are looming menacingly.
Istovremeno, čini se da je raspodela bogatstva u svetu nepravednija danas nego pre 20 godina; raspršen je mit o "novoj ekonomiji", a korporativni skandali u bogatom svetu pokazuju da su protekcionizam i loše upravljanje kompleksniji fenomen nego što se obično smatra i da te pojave ne postoji samo u nekim delovima sveta; finansijske i monetarne krize periodična su pojava na novim tržištima, koja je u ne malom broju zemalja izazvala ekonomski i socijalni haos; trgovinska liberalizacija koristila je, u prvom redu, bogatim zemljama, koje se deklarativno zalažu za ono što u praksi ne sprovode; društvena fragmentacija i isključenost rastu kako u bogatim, tako i u siromašnim zemljama; u mnogim delovima sveta, postoji osećaj dezorijentisanosti i rastuća plima nezadovoljstva i frustracije; nekonvencionalne opasnosti, posebno od upotrebe oružja za masovno uništenje, sve su izglednija pretnja.