There is a school of thought that believes when a few current global problems have been surmounted, normal times will return both to world politics and to world economics.

For example, many believe that when U.S. President Donald Trump finally gets his comeuppance, the old and generous America of Uncle Sam and Pax Americana will return, the U.S.-China trade war will wind down, peace will break out in the Middle East and we will back to business as usual.

Or in Europe, once the British, led by new Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have made a clean break from the European Union, things will settle down in the region, trade patterns will resume as before and Europe's march towards greater integration will continue as before. Relative world stability will resume its reign as people resume their business and some degree of certainty returns.