Uniform approach

Outsourcing has a bad name – a way of cutting labour costs by employing people in India and China (over three million US jobs will be lost to this trend by 2015). But there’s also a growing move for nations to outsource everything from their military to postal services that, properly harnessed, could raise standards and redefine what makes a country. This is who we would employ.
The long view

Jonathan Raban, Raúl Abreu Lastra and Ferruccio de Bortoli tell Monocle who they would like to hear less about next year.
A very civil service

From the ancient Greeks onwards, wise governments have seen the benefits of outsourcing. But what would a modern state look like if it put all of its ministries out to tender, employing the best foreign governments and private companies to run them? This is *Monocle*’s cabinet reshuffle.
Five alive

Which territories and nations are due their turn in the international spotlight? Monocle reveals five areas – from an EU island nation to a sprawling South American state – that will be in the headlines for all the right reasons over the coming year.
The way ahead

Global forecasting requires an expert view, so we called on four leading thinkers for a considered analysis of the future: Michael Axworthy, former head of the Iran section at the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office, looks at how the diplomatic turmoil surrounding that country might play out; Michael Shifter, vice-president for policy at the Inter-American Dialogue, foresees a Latin America free from US dependence; Malcolm Cook, programme director for the Asia Pacific region at the Lowy Institute, outlines the dilemmas China will face as it embraces superpower status; and Peter Reid, vice-president for communications at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, predicts a more liberal approach to foreign relations in a future Clinton White House.
Shaking it up

Are you familiar with all of these leaders? Monocle profiles three whose influence will continue to grow and grooms two necessary leaders of its own.
The long view

Colin Bradford, Simon Anholt, Paula Scher and Ilkka Kanerva on 2008.
Iron in zion

They cost just €70 to make, but Hezbollah rockets have forced some Israeli towns to be abandoned. So Israel is building Iron Dome, an anti-missile shield. If it works, it could change the pace of diplomacy in the region and beyond.
The long view

Surin Pitsuwan, Hanna Anbar and Mark Leonard give their views.
Early warning

From making life a misery for passengers at airports to making war with their neighbours, Monocle takes a look at the organisations, countries and people who are destined to hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2008.
Up for adoption

In Germany home-owners can generate power and sell it to the national grid. Genoa runs an inspiring van-share scheme that’s cutting congestion and in Estonia they have adopted a simple fiscal reform that’s kept the economy booming. Ministers and mayors hoping for re-election in 2008 should study these public policy initiatives with care.

Issue 9 / Global

Observation

A perfect day:
How often do you sit and plot what your perfect day would look and feel like? Do you try to imagine what sounds will wake you? Conjure up what smells will pull you out of bed? Do you think about what would improve the way you cross towns, country and continents? I do it all the time.

As this ninth issue of Monocle comes to a close we’re managing the final layouts between our headquarters in London and our bureau in Tokyo. It’s not an ideal way of working but sitting in a Tadao Ando- designed building with Aoyama on your doorstep isn’t exactly a hardship either. In between trips down to the local Lawson convenience store and moments spent watching the Harajuku kids stumble home as the sun rises, I’ve been contemplating what my ideal day might look like a year from now.

For starters, it would be great if more cities that claim to be world capitals started behaving like them. The cities that will attract the brightest and most creative will be the ones that have a 24-hour-a-day metabolism. Working from Tokyo reveals how sleepy London, Zürich and New York are. While our office is well equipped, it’s positively self-sufficient given that the Lawson store is only 30 seconds away, never closes, and can solve most logistical and supply issues. The little koban (police box) next door is a feature that other cities need to adopt if they want to keep life on the streets and make residents and visitors feel secure.

I’d like to walk out of my flat and read a different type of newspaper than what’s currently on offer and listen to a fresh morning news and business bulletin that would make me bullet-proof for the day ahead (that’s one we’re working on). I’d like to listen to it via a wafer-thin phone tucked neatly in a jacket made by a company that I knew cared about not just the environment but everyone in the manufacturing process. I live in hope that the whole sustainability discussion moves away from simply focusing on how happy the sheep were that contributed to my jumper and focuses on people instead.

Come this time next year we’ll hopefully know who the next president of the United States is and feel good about it. Should the election go to the wrong candidate there’ll be a brisk trade in residency applications from Americans who’ll feel beaten down by the system.

If things go the right way the new commander-in-chief must embark on a rethink of the entire Homeland Security apparatus and make the US an easier place to visit or even transit through.

Elsewhere in the world, Beijing will either be lying back watching the smog settle again after the Olympic flame is extinguished, or will use the momentum to admit to itself that press freedom and sustainable, environmental initiatives actually have value if you want to assume your position at the top table. In Europe red carpets will either be unrolled or put back into storage depending on what happens in Washington. Regardless of what occurs in November, the focus will be on the Near, Middle and Far East.

As travel is a major feature in my daily life I hope that the brands mentioned in our Travel Top 50 supplement continue to push innovation and prompt others to follow. I’d like to see StarFlyer come to Europe, more high-speed rail links everywhere and the easing of out-dated, pointless aviation security measures.

Finally, I’m rather intrigued by this fitness craze called kaatsu, which involves placing tight rubber bands on your limbs during exercise in order to increase blood flow and enhance your metabolism. If the hype that’s currently swirling around this city is anything to go by then it will have me in perfect form for next Christmas and will prove to be one of the biggest fitness trends for 2008.

While you contemplate your own year ahead, we’re going to enjoy a few extra weeks off and rest up for our February issue and the first anniversary of Monocle. From all of us in London, Tokyo, Zürich and New York I would like to thank you for all your feedback and support and wish you a Merry Christmas, happy holidays and a healthy and prosperous 2008.

You can read more from our editor in chief every Saturday in the International Herald Tribune or at iht.com. If you have any questions or comments, please drop him a line at tb@monocle.com

Uniform approach

The long view

A very civil service

Five alive

The way ahead

Shaking it up

The long view

Iron in zion

The long view

Early warning

Up for adoption

Shop flawless

Window of opportunity

Taking account

Techno tradition

Arte & Craft

Art corps

Fresh start

Skill set

Off the rails

Roots finder

Natural by design

Gift guide

Time is everything

Nimmanhaemin

Ration nation

Observation

King for a day

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