by Oliver Markley
Introduction
Understanding that new times require new ways of thinking, this essay is addressed to “thought leaders” in various fields, but especially futures research, citizen activism, and the new types of social networking media. It is both methodological and substantive, introducing a new typology of disruptive surprises (“wild cards”); and focusing on one in particular believed to have high probability of occurrence, but low credibility for most observers–the emergence of a new historical era, initially involving a systemic downturn toward societal disorder, disintegration and perhaps even collapse, before some type of reformation and/or restructuring.(continue…)