But that has since evaporated, just as it did in Denmark three years ago, and now the no camp seems to be in the ascendant.

ECONOMIST: Relations with the EU are warming a little

With "smart" technology in the ascendant, it will be hard to resist the allure of a frictionless, problem-free future.

WSJ: Are Smart Gadgets Making Us Dumb?

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood seems to be ascendant in Egypt.

FORBES: Don't Fear Morocco's Islamists

Ironically, at the time corporate raiders burst on the scene, the U.S. economy seemed to be stuck in a rut while Japan was ascendant.

FORBES: Dan Loeb Shakes Up Japan And Sony