▁of ▁current ▁economic ▁systems ▁on ▁several ▁grounds ▁- ▁the ▁imp over ishment ▁of ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁population , ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁in def initely ▁expand ing ▁credit ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁deb as ement ▁of ▁the ▁currency , ▁and ▁the ▁finite ▁limits ▁of ▁energy ▁and ▁material ▁resources ▁- ▁he ▁provides ▁a ▁context ▁for ▁discuss ing ▁alternative ▁ways ▁of ▁life , ▁and ▁expl ores ▁possible ▁courses ▁of ▁action ▁to ▁establish ▁them . ▁ ▁The ▁Great ▁Turn ing ▁ ▁K orten ' s ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁book ▁The ▁Great ▁Turn ing : ▁From ▁Empire ▁to ▁Earth ▁Community ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁emp ires ▁about ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁initi ated ▁une qual ▁distribution ▁of ▁power ▁and ▁social ▁benefits ▁to ▁the ▁small ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁that ▁controlled ▁them . ▁He ▁also ▁arg ues ▁that ▁corpor ations ▁are ▁modern ▁versions ▁of ▁emp ire , ▁both ▁being ▁social ▁organizations ▁based ▁on ▁hier arch ies , ▁ch au vin ism , ▁and ▁dom ination ▁through ▁violence . ▁ ▁The ▁rise ▁of ▁powerful ▁advanced ▁technology , ▁combined ▁with ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁corpor ate ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁nation - based ▁emp ires ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁being ▁increasing ly ▁destruct ive ▁to ▁communities ▁and ▁the ▁environment . ▁K orten ▁post ul ates ▁that ▁the ▁world ▁is ▁on ▁the ▁ver ge ▁of ▁a ▁perfect ▁storm ▁of ▁conver ging ▁cr ises , ▁including ▁anth rop ogen ic ▁ad verse ▁climate ▁change , ▁post - pe ak ▁oil ▁production ▁decl ine , ▁and ▁a ▁financial ▁crisis