The more pessimistic tone of the columns started when the pandemic gripped the world. To date, an estimated 18.2M people have lost their lives due to Covid 19. To put in perspective, the Asian flu of the late 1950s, claimed 1.1M lives; the Hong Kong flu in the late 1960s claimed roughly the same number whereas the Spanish Flu epidemic killed between 50M and 100M in the 1920s. But there has been nothing like Covid 19 as the pandemic paralysed the global economy for a large part of 2020 and 2021. Through government support packages, however, many countries were still able to manage quite well. 

After we had recovered somewhat from the pandemic, then the next crisis came when Russia invaded the Ukraine. The war became the starting point for extensive economic problems which are rooted in the energy supply to Europe in particular. Inflation started to rise in one country after the other, and now recessionary forces are facing many countries. The use of high interest rates to tame inflation is now hitting the construction industry hard. This, naturally, has had a dampening effect on contractors in our industry sector when it comes to investing in new equipment. 

In Sweden, where I live, we are also struggling with our own internal problems. Criminal networks in the country are at war with each other, which has resulted in a series of shootings where not only the criminals themselves become victims, but ordinary innocent people who happen to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time, have also been shot and killed. Added to this are several burnings of Islam’s holy book, the Koran, which has caused many in the Islamic world to turn against Sweden, with Islamic fundamentalists calling for attacks on Swedes. Recently, two Swedish football supporters were shot dead in Brussels in connection with a football game. 

The Swedish Freedom of Expression Act allows the burning of holy scriptures, flags etc. For my part, I admit that I find it offensive and completely unnecessary to burn any kind of book that means a lot to someone else. I just don’t see the point. It is an offensive act but I support that all people have the right to have an opinion and express it. It is a human right that should exist in all states. But as it has become the case in Sweden, the fact that just one person, exercising a right under this law to deliberately cause offense and incite hatred against an ethnic group is unacceptable. The very act has caused innocent Swedes to suffer and pay the ultimate price. Some acts have actually been carried out by Muslims to deliberately provoke a backlash!

As if this was not enough, Hamas chose to carry out a terrorist attack on Israel where many innocent people were killed and kidnapped. This has resulted in an Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip where many more innocent Palestinians have been killed, with a real danger than the situation may escalate throughout the region. 

All these occurrences mean that it's hard to find positive things to write about in my column, but I'll try. In this issue of PDi, we talk about, among other things, the Indian Demolition Association's second edition of its national convention and Demtech trade show. Riverbends Publishing, LLC, PDi and PDa Magazines are media partners for the second time and we greatly value our participation. The conference and exhibition were a real success and was held in Bengaluru at the end of September. More the 600 delegates attended the two day conference and trade show. 

There is more about this in a separate article inside the magazine.

Jan Hermansson
Editor-in-Chief
jan.hermansson@pdworld.com