Scary Long Term Eventualities
Let’s start with this premise: The most serious problems facing the human species today are not national, but global in nature and cannot be solved by individual nations. Added to this hurdle are the number of such global problems coming at us from several directions. Just considering our own country, the population is irrevocably split on these global problems. There is no consensus, and the nature of the global problems are so complex that most of us can hardly claim to have the expertise to be on the right side of what needs to be done. Finally, most of these huge global problems have taken many decades to develop and would take many decades to turn around at a huge cost and sacrifice. Thus, it is very possible that it may already be too late for some of these global problems. Is this really scary? I think so.
Below I list some of these global problems, and interestingly enough, none of these global problems are the hot button issues which will decide any U.S. elections. Most people are more worked up about who can marry who, or which religious practices should be the law of the land, or which of us are to get huge tax breaks and which of us should be forced to sacrifice to pay off huge national/state debts. No one seems to think everyone must sacrifice according to their ability to sacrifice. The amount of anger and feelings of vengeance is palpable among the citizens of most countries across the globe. The planet is saturated with caldrons of simmering anger and hatred of some toward others. This is truly a unique, dangerous, and brand new situation never before faced by the evolutionary process. There is no logical reason to fear Mother Nature will strike out this time with any correction, but it does beg the question of whether it will really take a home-run type evolutionary correction—and some of those types of corrections took hundreds of thousands or even millions of years duration.
1. Human Overpopulation.
This is behind a lot of the other global problems. There is still no serious plan for responsible reproduction. Many apparently believe that God has not only given us dominion over other species, but has given our species an exemption to the consequences of overpopulation. It is hard to imagine on what logical basis they make these claims.
2. Climate Change.
To what extent this is happening, or to what degree, and how fast, is not something which most of us have any scientific background to pass judgement. The best we can possibly do is let those scientists which study the matter professionally determine our policy. Climate scientists are pretty united on climate change, but few of us are willing to listen, let alone sacrifice to prevent climate change. If human activities are the basis for generating dramatic climate change, then it has taken centuries for this to build up and would take centuries to undo. For most, if the price of gas can be afforded today, then their focus is on what gas guzzler should they buy. If we have land enough to live on today, then how many acres of rain forests can be torn down is of little import to the unenlightened.
3. Species extinction.
Apparently extinction is part of having dominion over other species. We are God’s favorite species. All the other species which have been generated by God’s laws which govern the evolutionary process are expendable. And so are the natural resources, which are unlimited and there for the taking, at least by the strongest amongst us. Not to worry our little heads, or so these kind of people tell us. Yet the same people who refuse to worry about the human activities listed here will, in the next breath, say they are ‘family value’ people and want their offspring to have a good life. In the midst of so much scientific knowledge vast numbers of people use faith-based notions as their political/religious mantra.
4. Terrorism.
Even though acts of terrorism are growing exponentially across the globe, in frequency and extent of the mass killings, many still think if we are just loaded up with the best and most destructive military hardware, we will be safe. Never mind that since Korea, the only invasion successful with all our military might has been Granada and maybe the Balkans. Otherwise, even though we kill or displace millions and leave endless rubble behind, we eventually tire of it all, declare victory and leave behind a destroyed nation with endless local thugs in charge of their own reign of terror. Right now, instead of bombs and tanks we are using armed drones to seek out individual targets, and send a missile right up an enemy leader’s ass. Now that is a neat offensive weapon, but with time others will gain the knowledge and capability to have their own drones. We will then have all sorts of tough-ass Trumpite-like leaders leading all kinds of angry groups who will be sitting around planning exactly who should be on the end of tomorrow’s drone kills. Cecil the lion as sport and trophy hunts will be replaced by killing leaders of other countries. How the progression here is going to be stopped does not seem to be seriously on anyone’s mind. Any of us, if we were to put our mind to it, could kill a whole bunch of people, including most ‘important’ people. These new military gadgets have amazing accuracy and can be controlled from behind a distant computer screen. Then there are chemicals and biological organisms that exist or can be created which simply need be released into the air. Whee! A terrorist dream gift bag.
5. Wages.
Without global minimum living wages there is no way workers across the globe can earn enough on which to live. Without global minimum wages some people will be forced to work at slave labor wages. When so many people need two or more jobs to survive, then clearly there will not be enough jobs for everyone. And with computers and machines taking over so many work-related tasks, there is no need for everyone to work 30 hours, let alone 80 hours. There is no logical reasons why all workers can’t have 6 weeks vacation. But all of this can only be effectuated globally. Individual nations cannot solve any of the problems being listed here. The few, with most of the wealth, think their trickle-down will support the minions, while reality dictates that a healthy economy for everyone requires the minions to have ample money to spend to maintain a robust economy for everyone.
6. Religion
Religion and ethics are two separate entities. If we want ethics and peace then the Golden Rule will rule the day everywhere. If we want discord, hate, and endless terrorism/wars, then ardent religious sectarians fit the bill perfectly.
7. Healthy Communities and Nations
Only when every form of government, whatever that form may be, ensures that there is a level playing field for all it’s citizens, can that community remain vibrant, safe, and harmonious. That is to say all citizens, especially children, are entitled to have good schools (same amount of government money spent on each child), good health care, good pensions, decent vacation times, livable wages, and the whole array of basic rights. Taxes, social security, minimum wages, pensions, and all other safety met measures will rise in value with the cost of living.
8. Wars.
Even when necessary, wars need be paid for up front, not fought on borrowed money. The draft need be reinstated, no more using mercenaries to fight wars. The expense of any war will be paid up front on a sliding scale dependent on the financial ability to contribute to the expense of the war. All this would surely curtail a lot of ego trip wars.
9. Human Aggressiveness
Organized religious sects, in theory, promote kindness, fairness, prosperity for all, justice for all, and peace. Sadly though, combining the aggressive nature of humans with an inherited or adopted God makes the aggressiveness magnified with the belief that the aggressions being committed are the will of an inherited or by marriage God.
We have trouble seeing others see us in the same way we often see them. Dan Rather has written eloquently enough about his feelings as he anchored the news desk during 9/11. “I got mad. Whoever did this must pay! My knees began to shake…..I was having a visceral reaction to the scene unfolding before me….Such are the aftershocks that have continued and will continue to follow the earthquake that was September 11. We Rathers, as one little family, and we as a nation, were united in anger, fear, grief, and determination….Not a day passes that I don’t still think about September 11.”
We all can still feel the fear and anger about what was happening before our eyes. Yet every time our own smart bombs, missiles, and drones take out citizens of another country via some sort of invasion why do we think those citizens who witness the destruction, not of one or two buildings, but sometimes whole communities or multiple buildings, or unavoidable innocent people at the wrong place at the wrong time—why would we not expect them to feel the same way Dan Rather and the rest of Americans felt seeing our own citizens and families perish in such a violent way? Our enemies kill a few thousand of us and we kill or make refugees of millions as military ‘peacekeepers’ (Bush’s words for American combat soldiers). In the last analysis this has little to do with politics, or religion. or ethnicity but more to the point the loss of life and property, not on a battlefield by armed soldiers, but by sophisticated weapons of mass destruction. One thing is for sure. Every time we kill an ‘enemy’ we have made enemies of their friends, spouses, offspring, until we have literally hordes of people looking for vengeance to make us suffer. If they don’t have smart bombs or missiles they have home-made bombs for suicide bombing or land mines, or sniper fire, etc. Violence perpetuates violence, with religious faith the most degrading and violent violence imaginable. Killing is not sufficient, it must be a ghastly death and these kind of deaths have been committed by every major religious sect. Still each religion is absolutely convinced that the horrors are all committed by the heathens, not themselves as the worshipper of the ‘true’ God. In our own country many people sincerely believe that if we all arm ourselves, we will all be safe. Logically, this is sheer lunacy. Some even suggest church goers all pack guns. A half brained idiot could take out 20 before anyone could get their guns out. I reckon if I want to shoot someone in their home I could just wait until they pass by a window. I really don’t think I would bang down their door to find out just what is awaiting me behind the door.
Does anyone really believe that the average citizen of Iraq or Afghanistan or Bolivia etc. really are dyed in the wool socialists, communists, or evil people? More often then not they are simple illiterate people living off the land for a meager existence. They understand real well that if they want to live, they must cooperate with whatever band of foreign soldiers or homegrown thugs control their area at any particular time. Our soldiers, living in so called green zones except when venturing out to the killing fields, get real frustrated that the locals do not show any sincere cooperation. The answer is simple, they don’t live in any ‘green zone’.
There are perhaps more areas to list. But any need for the above to be complete is moot. There are enough areas listed above to indicate what is scary about the future. Of course none of us can predict the future. But that doesn’t mean we ought not to plan for a future. Few of us, when young, took the attitude that we would just live day to day and have no future plans. And those who did so, probably never got very far.
Nothing in past evolutionary history can equate with current times. When Mother Nature took dramatic corrective measures in the past, it was never due to the activity of a specific species.
Our species has become the most dangerous, albeit the smartest, species yet. But our smartness clearly comes with blind spots, greed, and an aggressive self serving nature. Perhaps in the distant future, in evolutionary years, not human years, a ‘new’ species will still be smart, absent the greed and aggressive self serving nature. Funny, how you and I have achieved this already. Sometimes, though, I am not sure about you.
