ABSTRACT
The thirty years since the end of the Second World War have been the golden age of political liberation, economic growth and technological progress. Tidal waves of independence movements swept the colonies and dependencies. Empires much larger than any that existed in the past, crumbled like sand-castles in a matter of only a few short years. New and independent nation states were born. The world political map, altered beyond recognition, was completely redrawn. Meanwhile, the global economy grew at an unprecedented pace. Its total output more than quadrupled. Scientific discoveries piled on one another. The process of technological transformation was swift. New nations adopted processes and techniques that had only recently been invented. Hope spread like wild fire in the spirit of Shelly’s immortal lyric ‘Prometheus Unbound’ and of man torturing to his will iron and gold, the slaves and signs of power . . .
