56 IV. NEWS TRENDS & STORIES Global 2.0 to 3.0 For a description of the shift from Global 2.0 to 3.0, see Solari Core Concepts. • Solari Core Concepts David Rockefeller’s Death – The End of an Era One of the most significant events of 2017 was David Rockefeller’s death in March at the age of 101. Rockefeller’s death and the passing of George H. W. Bush and his colleagues from positions of “syndicate” leadership represent a shift of an entire generation from the geopolitical stage. These are the people who led the global Bretton Woods trading system, organized the Kennedy assassination, engineered globalization with pro- gressive rounds of GATT and approved 911 and the Global Chessboard strategy. The failure of Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton to win the Presidency in the 2016 campaign accelerated this passing. • David Rockefeller, Philanthropist and Head of Chase Manhattan, Dies at 101 • Solari Report: The Devils Chessboard with David Talbot This passage comes with a shift of power to Global 3.0 leadership. The Rockefellers and their allies were relatively concerned with their public image. A new generation is emerging, many of whom are less concerned with any image of re- spectability. They have a much more highly cen- tralized control apparatus, invisible surveillance and weaponry and are confident in the power of mind control, software and media manipulation. They are even more likely to manage the general population without empathy. Another characteristic of this passage is that many of the people who engineered the financial coup d’état are no longer necessary. Many will be purged – some in a public manner designed to please a general population upset about the reduction in their quality of life and the inability of existing institutions such as governments and pension funds to fulfill their obligations. Mr. Global will try to please the crowd with the heads of people who need to be moved out anyway. The goal is to keep the assets, maintain control and reinvest successfully. I described this state of affairs in the cartoon we published in the 2nd Quarter 2017 Wrap Up Enforce the Constitution • Solari Toon – Enforce the Constitution “Amazoned” A clear indication that the acceleration of the shift from Global 2.0 to Global 3.0 had been approved was the Amazon purchase of Whole Foods in June. • Solari Food Series: Amazon Buys Whole Foods with Harry Blazer Amazon continued to make waves throughout the year, as the military joined the CIA and sev- enteen intelligence agencies in Amazon’s cloud. This represented an important shift of Depart- ment of Defense systems out of the defense contractors and into the tech industry. • The Military Is Offering Amazon A $5 Bil- lion Contract Without Seeing If Anyone Can Do It Cheaper • Bezos Cashes in on Lobbying Washington with Amazon’s $53 Billion Deal to Supply Pentagon When the Amazon deal for Whole Foods was announced, Amazon and Whole Foods combined market cap increased by $15 billion. However, the combined market cap of the other traded grocery stocks decreased by $40 billion. This is the deflationary impact of information systems and new technology squeezing margins across an industry. All year long the markets contemplat- ed what could be done to additional industries. This included health care as Walgreens and CVS announced record store closings. • Amazon Threat Causes Shakeout in the Health-Care Industry The Retail Squeeze The impact of online sales and the continuing squeeze on the middle class was felt throughout the retail industry. Shopping malls across the country struggled while restaurants and the retail industry welcomed relief with tax reform passed at year-end.