It’s not a coincidence that Japan is an island and has the cultural force it does. With access to the water and mindful maintenance of trees.

My city Atlanta commonly felt like an island within an island. No water but plenty of greenery, music, and charm. We always say, “there’s Atlanta, then there’s Georgia”. With ties to the countryside, I know very well.

As I’m less than an hour or so from where my grandma must have grown up in Jersey, it’s so clear.

You think you could live in a country like China assuming race wasn’t a factor?

It’s interesting to see a country try to plan out much more of its market. Less individual freedoms but more collective thoughtfulness—still dominant globally. It’d be an worthy experiment to compare although I figure I’d like the US more.

Could be a reality if West Africa or another region becomes one country in our lifetime. That’d require figuring out the balance of economic and governmental principles. I’m not sure if a highly individualistic culture could unite a new country unless some unit had power in guns, steel, or international diplomacy. Possible but also possible for an India-like tolerance for cultures with some pragmatic harmony policies could lead to a new country too.

The US we know today is formed from a country that had a head start in many ways and a very alien population hyped on Manifest Destiny. Is that enough going forward? For which nations? What will be the successful ways for a people of 100s of million to unite in the future?

If we look back on cultural waves, there seems to be some foundational elements that each needed. Here are a couple I noticed and one I think we'll look back on in 2030.