{"id":54191,"date":"2026-08-22T17:06:51","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T15:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.turner.nl\/uncategorized\/over-tolerated\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T17:07:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T15:07:02","slug":"over-tolerated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.turner.nl\/en\/blog-en\/over-tolerated\/","title":{"rendered":"“Over-tolerated”"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Column by Peter de Bruin<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cChecked off\u201d<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Peter de Bruin warns us of the danger of a massive bubble imploding if we are unable to make real choices. From the (political) center, we need to make clear, firm choices\u2014beyond populism. \u201cEverything, all the time, for everyone\u201d is no longer possible. We\u2019ve reached the limit of our tolerance. <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Something strange. Most economic indicators are in the green, but there\u2019s still a strange undercurrent. The stock markets are doing well, the housing market is at an all-time high, the labor market is tight, wage inflation is quite substantial, and pension funds have high coverage ratios. Even the number of people living below the poverty line is falling. Yet there are plenty of problems\u2014climate change, obesity, loneliness, migration, a healthcare crisis, youth welfare, educational performance, rental housing, etc.\u2014but apparently, they don\u2019t affect the economy. Not us. Not yet. <\/p>

With our heads in the clouds of materialism\u2014just look at us rushing en masse to \u201cBlack Friday\u201d again these days\u2014we still haven\u2019t brought our spending in line with our means. Everything, for everyone, all the time. But how much longer can \u201cindividualized customization,\u201d \u201csomething for everyone,\u201d \u201cjust because we can,\u201d and \u201crights without responsibilities\u201d remain affordable? And, by the way, what are we supposed to do with 67 kinds of tea on the supermarket shelf? <\/p>

When is that bubble going to burst? We know that prosperity doesn\u2019t lead to well-being, but when will we realize that we can\u2019t even afford it anymore? Look at the countries around us\u2014things are already going wrong there. And the Netherlands, too, is already bankrupt, and in some ways we\u2019ve truly crossed the moral line of unchecked money printing. There\u2019s a surplus of money in the economy, but returns are declining structurally. Implosion is only a matter of time. <\/p>

We can\u2019t keep giving everything to everyone all the time\u2014we\u2019ve reached the limit of our tolerance. It\u2019s time for choices without tolerance. Choices that come with drawbacks for one group, for another, or for both. Can we do that before it\u2019s too late and scarcity forces our hand? Can the implosion still be prevented? Only if politicians and leaders start leading the people instead of following them! The current populism\u2014which we ourselves chose a year ago\u2014must quickly be replaced by a political center that advocates for balanced yet sharp and firm choices. <\/p>

What about Artificial Intelligence & Data Science (AI\/DS)\u2014can\u2019t technology save us? Prosperity for everyone, claim the tech prophets. Well, AI\/DS is brilliant; it will dramatically increase the productivity of many professions, such as consultants, accountants, teachers, doctors, and lawyers. Yet we are the ones who decide. AI\/DS supports us, but we choose. For example, AI\/DS improves diagnostics in Healthcare, but it cannot choose for us whether someone is too old for a new hip replacement. Here\u2019s another example. AI\/DS can optimize the processes for granting benefits, but the truly fundamental choice is one of tax reform without benefits. AI supports us, but we cannot escape making the real choices. <\/p>

If we want to prevent the implosion, we\u2019ll need as many as ten Delta Plans. We need bold decisions\u2014not half-measures\u2014in all the problem areas mentioned. We\u2019re best able to make such decisions together. No one can do it alone. We can only do it together. That is the first and most important decision. Having \u201chad enough\u201d of individualization, we\u2019re going to do this together. I call on companies and entrepreneurs to invest above all in the ability to adapt to changing circumstances\u2014and in each other. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Meet the Author<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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