The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization

In 2019, the world existed in a “perfect moment” in which goods were quickly and cheaply available. Drawing on geopolitics and demography, the text argues that the world is transitioning from this ideal state to one that is “pricier and worse and slower” (1). Geopolitics focuses on how location impacts populations, while demography studies population structures.

After World War II, the US provided global security, which enabled trade. The resulting globalization helped enable development and industrialization in many countries, reshaping demography and extending life spans. That US-led era is giving way to disorder in the 2020s. The text anticipates declining consumption, production, investment, and trade. In a de-globalized world, location would matter; in the geography of success, navigable waterways and industrial technology are important. As technologies change, so too does the geography of success. De-globalization would result in a world with “thousands of different and separate geographies” (5). Given the US’s geographic isolation and young demographics, it would not be as negatively impacted as the rest of the world. The text aims to describe the new geographies of success in a de-globalized world.