Global Risks 2014: The Key Risks Indentified at the World Economic Forum

Just read a pretty good analysis of "Global Risks" (where Global Risk is defined as an occurrence that causes significant negative impact for several countries and industries over a time frame of up to 10 years).

A key characteristic of global risks is their potential systemic nature – meaning that they have the potential to affect an entire system, as opposed to individual parts and components.

Here are the Top 5 Global Risks, based on likelihood and severity of impact.

 

 

 via World Economic Forum.

 

So, the big issues are: Financial Crisis caused by or in conjunction with ... Social Problems (employment levels and income disparity), Environmental Issues (e.g., climate and weather), and/or Cyber Threats.  Surprise, Surprise, Surprise ...

The WEF article is much more nuanced and worth reading if you are interested.

On a related note, here is a video clip where Jon Stewart discusses the World Economic Forum:

 

The Daily Show
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It is a little funny to think about a group of the world's wealthiest people gathering in an secluded mountain enclave to discuss concerns over income inequality. 

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