The usual first response to any threat is a defensive posture. This is the prevailing style of today’s politicians and parties. 

But is that enough? Is this attitude not the beginning of the end? As if you want to win a World Cup by having all the players wall up in front of their own goal in the penalty area, without possessing an offense and midfield. 

We urgently need to free ourselves from all prejudices and old ideologies, because they impede creative thinking and building a better future. They are not just corsets, but cages in which progress is locked up. 

Future needs openness to innovation, progress and improvements through creative thinking serving as the fuel. This permits knowledge-based societies to grow and industrialised countries to prosper and maintain their global competitiveness as well as employment, prosperity and freedom. 

A Mission Future needs to break the prison of old thinking in politics and provide space and air for reflection, re- thinking and experimenting with fresh ideas. It paves the way for better politics. With concepts and concrete proposals de- signed to shape the future, instead of Sunday speeches. This is how we can make democracies viable.