Polarization

This book illuminates polarizing influences, their consequences, and possible ways to mitigate them. It focuses on different manifestations of polarization. They show up between: - abundance and hunger - wealth and poverty - sufficient and no longer sufficient resources like raw materials, energy, and environment. Before considering central concepts of polarization, a first stage of the development of polarization must be explained. It is characterized, among other things, by the fact that people often receive different incomes. This creates an incentive for people with lower incomes to earn higher incomes. As a result, the real economy can experience growth. Furthermore, different variations of polarization are shown as well as polarization with its relations to other terms. - Societal polarization is characterized by the fact that incomes and wealth of parts of the population drift so far apart that mal- nutrition and abundance or poverty and wealth can arise. Such a development is driven by excessive asymmetric and thus also percental distribution of growth gains. Such a development is driven by excessive asymmetric and thus also percental distribution of growth gains. - Global polarization is evident between countries. Excessive differences in the trade balances cause, among other things the differences between the countries. - Ecological polarization can be seen between the times of still sufficient or already too low resource reserves of raw materials, energy, and environment. - Polarization and its relationship to democracy. - Polarization and its relationship to resource reserves. - Polarization and its relationship to authoritarian leadership. - Polarization-reducing activities often do not sufficiently take place in the context of polarization.