""When we look at the rise of the global far-right through a systems lens, we can recognize that it as a symptom of crisis and collapse - as well as the potential for renewal.""

Nafeez M. Ahmed is the creator of the Age of Transformation, a newsletter offering ""systems-thinking for the global phase-shift."" He wrote this piece nearly a year ago, before the 2024 U.S. elections, predicting that 2024 would be an inflection point—not only for liberal democracy, but for human civilization as a whole.

He argued that as today's political and economic systems fail to address major global challenges, public trust in them continues to erode. In this climate of uncertainty far-right movements are gaining traction by promising a return to a mythical past. Their appeal rests on fear of change, blame toward outsiders, and a reliance on outdated models of nationalism and state control.

But Ahmed makes it clear: going backward won’t work. The world has changed, and legacy systems are breaking down. We’re at a crossroads—either we collapse, or we evolve into a new phase. That evolution will require us to rethink how we live, work, and organize society—from how we define success to how we care for each other and the planet.

As someone striving to walk Buddha’s “middle way,” I was especially struck by his reminder that this isn’t just about opposing the far-right. Many center-left and green movements are also operating within outdated frameworks. They tend to respond to crises without offering coherent, imaginative alternatives—which breeds confusion, not clarity.

Ahmed insists that real transformation begins with imagination: with building new ways of living that reflect today’s realities and tomorrow’s technologies. It also requires an honest reckoning with the fact that our current version of democracy isn’t working well enough—and a willingness to create more participatory systems that match the scale of our challenges.

The old worldview—centered on individual gain and endless economic growth—is unraveling. The far-right may be its final, most desperate form. The real question before us is this: will we go down with it, or rise up to build something radically new?

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