For Centuries, Italian mothers frightened their “misbehaving” children, while Politicians frightened their constituencies, screaming “Mamma li Turchi!” (Mama, Turks are coming!)
This expression dates back to 15th century when Ottoman Fleet was giving a hard time to Genoese in Mediterranean Sea.
Within the years, this stood for the fear of West, of Eastern “invasion”, through not only colonization, but also immigration.
A news spot I came across with, last week on a web page of a Turkish National Newspaper, made me reflect on the changing times.
According to the news, in the last one year which corresponds to countless confidence votes and crisis threats in Italy, the number of Italian Professionals, not only at executive level, but even more in mid management strata, who send CV’s to Head Hunters in Turkey in pursuit of jobs, has exploded.
It says, more or less the same applies to other – especially Southern European – professionals.
It’s not news to most of us that the (financial and political) center of gravity of the world has been shifting east in especially the last decade.
The resource rich Eastern Countries, who do not suffer –at least in an arrogant and bloody manner- western colonization anymore, did have the chance to prosper for themselves –although still most of the revenue will fly west through neatly signed agreements-and the new “small” world even gave them the chance to BUY western resources they lack.
Still, now this reverse flow reaching the “man on the street” clearly indicates that the big economic, political and social changes might come much earlier than expected.
In the next year or so, we may witness the FINAL domino show in the West in case a “too big to digest” economy like Italy or Spain fails.
Hand in hand with this macroeconomic turmoil, comes the new era of migration with a bigger magnitude and a different direction.
But how ready are we –both in west and the east- for this challenge?
Will the Western “immigrants” who will have to get out of the classical hygienic life style, their Senior predecessors enjoyed thanks to the great packages and privileges they were given, be able to adapt to the new reality in their lives or will the Eastern Societies behave in a welcoming and respectful manner to their unexpected guests?
When I read the reader comments under the news spot, I immediately saw that there is too little to be hopeful there.
Most Turkish (and eastern) average approach to this current crisis in West is a mix of sarcasm and contentment.
Although it does not take a Roubini to see that Eastern growth, owed mostly to misused and not fairly shared natural resources or undiversified models based on construction/banking collaboration, might not be as sustainable as presented (look at budget and current deficit or unemployment figures) by most, this WEST to EAST direction of center of gravity shift seems to be here to stay for some time.
On the contrary to the mainstream reaction, I believe that this is a golden opportunity for both Organizations and Companies in East and the Talented Professionals of the West.
Most of the resource rich Eastern Societies, still today, lack the human resources and systems to utilize their god given wealth in a way to upgrade themselves to a civil and happy society level.
On the other hand, the shrinking markets and businesses (getting consolidated) are now far from being able to provide their people the welfare and satisfaction they have got used to.
You see, this might well be a WIN-WIN deal, but this is only possible if both sides sincerely see the vital necessity of adapting themselves to this new reality.
I, personally believe, that countries which will be able to attract more Western Professionals/Scientists and Thinkers, through welcoming legislations and societies (this really takes a cultural and educational effort, as it is not hard to see that the average EASTERN man does not look/sound so different than the average WESTERN man, when it comes to welcoming “others”) will be the ones who, not only will reach the golden mix of FINANCIAL and SOCIAL richness (come on now, with a Turkish passport, I can’t be an orientalist!), but also will have better chances of surviving the next 100 years of constant international conflicts based on the ambition of getting the biggest slice of the RESOURCES cake.
Well, I have to apologize now for not concluding this article properly, as I will have to go to bed early to wake up at 0500 tomorrow morning and go queue up in front of the Foreign Police to persuade them that I am not here to sabotage the European Society through money laundering, tax evasion, drug trafficking or religious terror acts, so that they extend my one year employee visa.
Buona Fortuna Italiani!