Economic grievances fuel support for hostile actions, Edelman’s global Reuters survey shows
Author: Lannh Nguyen
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – Economic fears have escalated into discontent among 60% of people, with many believing hostile actions such as violence may be necessary to bring about change, according to a global poll by communications firm Edelman.
The poll of 33,000 respondents in 28 countries found serious levels of distrust in government and business, with many respondents viewing them as serving the narrow interests of the wealthy while ordinary people struggle.
It was published as the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos was about to begin under the theme “Cooperation for the Intelligent Age”.
Four in 10 respondents approved of hostile acts for change, including violence or threats, online attacks, the deliberate spread of misinformation and property damage, the survey found. Among respondents aged 18 to 34, support for hostile actions was even higher and amounted to 53%.
The results are “profound,” said company CEO Richard Edelman. “We’ve now seen a decline over a 10-year period from fears, to polarization to discontent,” as the public grows more concerned about the cost of living and job security associated with artificial intelligence, he said.
Discontent stems from a lack of hope for the next generation, class divisions between low- and high-income people, distrust of leaders including government officials, business executives and journalists, and confusion about credible information, the survey found.
In Western democracies, respondents’ prospects that their countries would be better off for the next generation fell to very low levels of 9% in France, 17% in the UK and 30% in the US, the survey found.
“Recovering from a grievance-based society will require efforts among institutions to address issues such as information integrity, accessibility, sustainability and the future of artificial intelligence,” Edelman said.
