You've been warned.
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The latest on the West Antarctica Ice Sheet: not only is its collapse unstoppable, it is
happening at a much quicker rate than previously supposed:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/12/03/this-west-antarctic-region-sheds-a-mount-everest-sized-amount-of-ice-every-two-years-study-says/
Global warming seems to be a hot-button topic for
me as a blogger. What shall I say about
it this time?
Hmm ...
Global warming has taken its place besides nuclear
weapons as a major threat to our continuation.
On recent United Nations climate talks:
“WASHINGTON — After more than two decades of trying but failing to forge a global pact to halt climate change, United Nations negotiators gathering in South America this week are expressing a new optimism that they may finally achieve the elusive deal.Even with a deal to stop the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions, scientists warn, the world will become increasingly unpleasant. Without a deal, they say, the world could eventually become uninhabitable for humans.”www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/world/climate-talks.html
If there are two major threats to civilization (nukes, GW), I
suspect there are probably more that experts are soft-pedaling. I know Stephen Hawking (famous physicist guy)
recently warned about artificial intelligence replacing us. All this adds up to grim probabilities of
human doom.
Not only do we suck at dealing with longer-range
threatens, we are masters of ignorance and denial. Half of the Empire still claims global
warming is a hoax perpetrated by the liberals, even though the polar caps are
melting, and a plethora of other empirical evidence exists.
If so many people cannot see what is right in
front of them, simply because they don’t want to see, we’re really screwed.
What else can I say... My mind feels so
sick and tired.
It’s a tough time to be alive for those of us who
are aware. Making like an ostrich and putting
your head in the oil sands has its psychological advantages. Of course, that’s the problem: pure selfishness is so much easier than
empathy. Drunk with technological
and imperial power, my people, the privileged citizens, have been taught to
wallow in consumeristic selfishness for a long, long time. Brand name advertising was a devilish
invention, superb at killing humility, modesty and general human virtue.
Anyway, where where where was my mind?
I’ve apologized quite a bit to the people of the
future in previous entries. I don’t
think I’ve apologized much to the Native American people and cultures. They maintained this land for tens of
thousands of years in a lush, abundant state of majestic beauty. Yeah, they weren’t perfect, especially when
they first came across the Bering Strait (theory in paleoanthropology)
and wiped out a many prey species. Not
good. Also, some of their cultures
collapsed from overconsumption, including the Maya and the Anastasi (that’s the
theory, anyway).
However, they worked it out and, when Europeans
arrived, the multifarious tribes, in general at least, had an advanced spiritual
ethos that treated the Earth with moderate respect, maybe more.
Our economic system, capitalism, on the other hand,
sees the Earth (and her creatures) as nothing but raw material to exploit,
consume, develop, harness, fence, fight over, and cage. Can you say, "spiritual dungeon"?
So, I apologize to the Native Americans for the
decimation of their advanced, sophisticated worldview and its replacement by
competitive, reductionist, callous Greed.
Look what a spearhead of whites has done, in just a handful of
centuries, to a land once so beautiful. Utterly sad. Best to close the mind and hide. I do a lot.
I also apologize to everyone for selfishly
blabbing on this blog. I know I’ve taken
on a romantic martyr/prophet role. Not
sure what else to do. At least I’m
trying to face things, albeit feebly.
What else?
Oh, whatever destroys us--global warming or
nuclear war or AI’s or whatever--it will be the final indictment of our
governmental systems. Democracy,
capitalism, and so forth, will all be seen as evil. The “freedom” we praised in our time will be
seen as despicable and narcissistic. A
new system of management will emerge to replace it. Worst case scenario: despotic cult-worship based on barbaric
force. If that happens, well, it will be
like going back to ancient Sumer and the whole cycle of stupidity will repeat!
What I’m hoping for, once democracy, capitalism
and ‘freedom’ as we know it go down, is a benevolent dictatorship. The key, really, is making sure your leaders
are good people, and by that I mean they care more about the health of their
society than their own aggrandizement, money, and fame. Our leadership is currently infected with
sociopaths. People who can just turn off
their conscience (if they have one) and lie with 100% convincing ease. Sociopaths are also reckless and they see
nothing wrong with bloodshed as a means to an end.
Please realize that saying the right thing comes easy to many people who don't do the right thing. In fact, they say the right thing only to trick you.
Don’t let people like this get into power. Our system encourages them. Ours is a meritocracy based on who can hoard
the most money and power. Wicked people
do well such amoral contexts.
Backstabbing, lying, cheating, killing.
Starting wars.
Want to get more popular with the people. Just start a war. Done. To hell with innocent lives.
Whatever you do, people of the future, realize
this: brilliant, personable monsters
will be your biggest threat. They create
fears and hates and wield them with terrible genius. You’ve got to make sure--MAKE SURE--your
leaders are truly good people. If you
can do that, you have a chance at a benevolent dictatorship, which will result
in (as John Rawls proposes) a world that maximizes the well-being of the worst
off class.
Besides insuring that your leaders are not
monsters under charismatic masks, you need a Constitution that prevents, not
only the tyranny of monarchy (ours does that pretty well), but also the tyranny
of wealth. Once you get a super-wealthy
class they bribe and seduce the leaders.
My suggestion: limit personal wealth. Make leaders live in humble circumstances. My leaders live in fat palaces and get rich. No, no, no.
Outlaw rich leaders. Outlaw leaders in
palaces. This is one stopgap to keep the
wicked out of power. You’ll need other
stopgaps as well, though.
Get it? Honestly, it shouldn't be too hard to insure your leaders are good people. Look at their entire lives. Make them take psychometrically valid tests. This is important!
Make sure, also, that your Constitution is detailed and spells out exactly what basic rights people get.
Another thing:
learn from Native American culture and RESPECT our Goddess Earth. I say Goddess because we need to give women
equality in our world--women are (speaking generally) wonderful healers
and community-builders. Right now,
aggressive, war-eager males own our pulpits.
It’s terrible. We are hell-bent
on war. The Empire is currently involved
in three wars (Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria) and one of them is the longest in
our country’s history; and none of them really makes any sense or shows any
competency.
Only rich weapons-makers and their allies profit.
Folks of the future, you must abolish nuclear
weapons. Heck, you've got to avoid armies, somehow. If it comes to the absurdity of war, oh man, are you in trouble. Create a world where no one is
grossly rich and everyone has the basics to follow their dreams. Otherwise envy, class warfare and hate build
up! They do!
If you create circumstances where no one is afraid they won't have their home and basic comforts taken away, war might be avoidable. Create a world where everyone is given enough to life decently.
Look at the mess of ignorance, denial and avarice we are in. We force people to work at jobs they hate by threatening to take away their money, which basically means they have nothing.
Don’t do this cruel shit to your people. Don't!
So tired...
Owl
Posts
I heard on the radio yesterday that they use an awful lot of insecticide in Brazil. The figure of 5 kilo insecticide per inhabitant was mentioned. A farmer said he got rid of pests by shaking them onto a long sheet place under his trees. I know which farm I prefer.
ReplyDeleteI see they are going to release documents! Oops. I see they are going to release less than 500 documents from over 6,000. Wonder if they will be readable? see how it goes, eh?
ReplyDelete