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Adjiedj Bakas: "Life is a Muppet Show"

She once competed in the Miss Universe pageants, now she uses her charms to seduce exciting men into an interview for MASTERS. This time, Irene van de Laar sets her sights on trend watcher Adjiedj Bakas.
Karoly Effenberger

Adjiedj Bakas is a futurist, writer and speaker. He lectures on the changing world. Bakas is always positive, even in times of economic downturn. His motto: "Headwinds make a kite rise." Bakas welcomes me to his colorful villa on the outskirts of Almere and shares his views on new business models, entrepreneurial trends, technology and society.

Why did you want to become a futurist?

"I was born in Suriname and spent my childhood there. I was in the bushbush there. The closest city was Rio de Janeiro, about four to five hours' flight away. I wanted to know what the big bad world was like. From childhood, my mother dragged me to the library to read and borrow books so I could learn about the world and history. I wanted to know about the archaeology of tomorrow. That's what I started to study then. Later, when I went to study in Holland, I saw Chriet Titulaer on television predicting that soon we would have cell phones, the Internet and computers. Titulaer was my role model. He told interesting things. I went to his lectures and started following him. I thought: I want to learn this too."

 What competencies are necessary for your profession?

"You need imagination. But also imagination. That things can be different. For example, that it is technically possible for cars not to run on gasoline but electric. Or that an airplane can fly faster, like in the days of the Concorde. Starting in 2030, hypersonic planes will arrive, flying five times faster than the Concorde. That means you'll be in New York or Shanghai from Amsterdam in two hours. Great. I keep track of everything. I have five researchers sitting in India. They provide me with reports on almost everything. IBM also sends me a lot about inventions they've made. I have a very good research apparatus. In addition, I know a lot about money flows and about the economy."

How do you predict trends?

"I talk to thinkers, entrepreneurs, techies, military or IT people. I translate their findings to the audience in a light-hearted way. It's actually a kind of math. At some point, lines come together. If you want to predict the future, you have to be level-headed, put things into perspective and not let the fuss of the day get you down."

How do you make a difference?

"By not living in a bubble. I organize my own contradiction, because without contradiction you start believing in your own bubble. Economists who contradict me keep my vision sharp. And I talk to everyone. From mainstream to wappies and everything in between. Between mainstream and wappie is a big nuanced space."

Do you also sometimes get it wrong?

"Yes. I had thought the war in Ukraine would be prevented. Russia is an aging country with few young people. Then you don't send those boys to the front, do you? The young soldiers are used as cannon fodder. Ukraine is also very aging. If soon all the young people are dead or have fled, who is to build the economy?"

 What will change in 2023?

"I expect the war in Ukraine to transform into a 'frozen conflict' and then the European sanctions against Russia will end. We will get gas, oil and coal from Russia again. The Northstream pipelines, arguably blown up by the Americans, will be repaired. Europeans are war-weary and Ukraine-weary. According to top American expert Henry Kissinger, America is now waging war - economically - against Russia and China at the same time. We should not let the warmongering Americans drag us down. We as BV Nederland have been earning well for centuries from trade with all three superpowers. We must remain neutral in this squabble."

Do Dutch people want to see big changes in 2023?

"I 'do' in the future, but most people want a life that ripples on. People long for security and companionship with friends and family. This is largely due to the aging population. Old people have more past than future. They think: why on earth should I even bother? Younger people are often still eager for the future."

Are we finally rid of covid or is there another virus lurking?

"Viruses are of all times. The problem is that viruses used to stay around, because back then there was less travel and fewer long distances. Now viruses like bird flu, swine flu or corona travel with us. We just have to keep investing in our immune system. So eat healthy food. Chinese researchers have already discovered 12 dormant viruses in the melting primordial ice in Tibet, which are now waking up again. And those are worse than corona."

What will care look like?

"The government has lost control of many tasks, such as the healthcare sector, I describe in my book The Future of Healthcare. Especially care for the elderly. We get de-professionalization of care. We go to a shorter work week. People then spend the days off to care for elderly parents, for informal care and continuing education. So more care tasks are being pushed back to citizens. Furthermore, robotization is advancing and robots are taking on more and more of a human appearance."

Will polarization continue to increase in our country?

"Yes, I think more and more people are withdrawing and distancing themselves from nasty discussions. I see society being cut up into people forming groups. Look, for many people the world has become too big, too harsh and too anonymous. There is also too much aggression. People are going to create small communities, both physical and virtual. Many people don't follow the news anymore because it leads to depression. You used to be able to argue with each other without conflict, but we now live in that weird woke erawhere people are cancelled if you disagree. That came over from America. That's not Dutch. I think it's terrible: I ignore all those woke idiots. Those people are brainwashed and want everyone to think like them. If you don't, you are wrong. Fine, then I'm wrong. Totally fine."

MASTERS Magazine

Curious about the rest of the interview? In the spring edition of MASTERS, three entrepreneurs shed light on the future: Raymon Pouwels (GO Sharing), Merel van Helsdingen (Nxt Museum) and Tim van der Wiel (GoSpooky). According to the latter, ever-accelerating technological advances offer tremendous opportunities. "There has never been a better time to have a good idea. Technology is in your pocket!" Sports journalist Jaap de Groot outlines the contours of the new playing field of international sport after the resounding success of the World Cup in Qatar. And futurist Adjiedj Bakas also shines his light on the future. According to him, next year will be dominated by the search for the economy of happiness. "We are not only going to look at what makes us money, but what makes us happy," he says. Perhaps this edition contributes to that, with a look back at MASTERS EXPO, a road trip with the new Range Rover and interviews with equestrian Pope Jan Tops, Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner, chef Margot Janse and visual artist Spencer Tunick. Happiness!