How will we earn our money in 2040?
Part I: Towards 2040
Echo and Narcissus
Narcissus is so fixed on his own reflection in the water that he doesn't notice Echo. She tries to catch his attention by repeating his words to his own reflection.Narcissus has no eyes for his surroundings, only for his own reflection. When describing the future, one should not make the same mistake. Fixation on present difficulties and quandaries may not overshadow fundamental developments for the future. Repeating other's words about the past and the present does not automatically give a correct picture of the future.
Read more about Part I: Towards 2040
Part II: Unfolding
Consulting the oracle
The woman on the left-hand side is a priestess who is on the verge of revealing the future. The CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis is not an oracle that can predict the future.Read more about Part II: Unfolding
Part III: Policies for the future
The magic circle
The woman draws a circle around herself. This magic circle should protect her against the outside world. Within the circle, she makes the rules and works on a secret recipe that protects her against the world around her.The influence of Dutch policymakers is limited. However, within the boundaries of the outside world, policymakers can work on their own recipe to deal with uncertainty from that world around them.
Read more about Part III: Policies for the future
The publication The Netherlands of 2040 can be ordered at:
CPB Library
P.O. Box 80510
2508 GM The Hague
Telefax: +31 70 3383350
Email: bibliotheek@cpb.nl
Price: 20,- euro