Your Predictions For Future...

[Zeke]

but you know I think something really bad needs to happen....thats just the trend in history. The Roman Empire......good, then it fell and the Dark ages came about for 500 years......bad. Then the Revolution of Democracy.......good, then Imperlism........bad, were still in the bad phase. Were going to go out of the bad phase with a bang and then a new age of light that happened durning Rome will happen again. Sorry if that is a biased opinion

 

Zeke

[Ursus]

Bright spots for the future? Sure. "The Simpsons" will still be on television a century from now.

[Moonlapse]

The earth WILL cycle through ice ages, that just how it goes. The pessimism is actually realism, considering how fast the human population is growing. When a climate shift does happen, earth simply will not be a place that can handle this many people... unless we have a very very clever solution... which humans are pretty good at... usually...

[Favonius Cornelius]

A part of the economic interdependance and equality will be a greater standard of living across the world, which I believe will lead to a stabilization of population and eventual drop. At that point I think humanity would be in a much better situation to confront global issues.

[Sextus Roscius]

Personaly, I think there is going to be a revolution in america in the near future of some sort or governmental reforms. After the end of two very bad terms, americans might finaly relize there is a world we've got to prepare for and that the current government no longer functions efficiantly, so that some one will lead a new party.

 

As for the rest of the world, there will be increasements in Islamist radical movements that will eventually tople on themselves when Europe and North America finally get fed up enough with them to do something serious and we may see the emergence of a religious war (not in the sense of war, war, but in guruellia, espionage, and terrorist attacks) which will lead to the lose of many lives for nihill.

 

Mainly, I beleive the entire problem for our future, is that Muslims produce so many kids and can't afford to give each one a decent life.

[Germanicus]

Mainly, I beleive the entire problem for our future, is that Muslims produce so many kids and can't afford to give each one a decent life.

 

You don't mean this do you Sextus ? Surely not.......

[Favonius Cornelius]

Sextus, the quality of that statement underlines the heart of the very problem you speak of.

[Primus Pilus]

Its poorly worded certainly, but the general condition of life in parts of the middle east has led to mass relocation into Europe and the United States. However, birth rate issues coupled with quality of life are a definate problem in many areas of the world and not the mitigating cause of hatred between cultures. The lack of perceived ability for muslims to care for their children is not the issue (and certainly not true), even those of wealth and station are in many cases resistant to western idealism. Its the fundamental differences in lifestyle that is the issue, as evidenced by the statement which reflects the differences between what we may or may not see as 'quality of life'.

 

Levelling economic conditions across the world would certainly help, but hatred and war, etc will not cease until all people become drones who live in a state of a utopian 'borg' collective. Even if we were all equal in an economic sense, the issues of cultral idealism, religions, etc. would still exist.

[DanM]

Regarding all of these predictions, I think there is a real danger in putting too much trust in some linear extrapolation. Things just don't work that way over extended periods of time. History takes big bumps that throw the train off the tracks and take it in unexpected directions.

 

As for the Islam vs the West thing, this is my single biggest worry for a lot of reasons other than the obvious ones. Yes the USA and many European countries will continue to be attacked by Islamic extremists. Yes it is likely that a nuclear attack is only a matter of time. The real question, however, is how this constant threat, insecurity and resulting rage will affect the outlooks of Europeans and Americans. Thats the real trick.

 

Simply put, if the USA gets nuked I expect we will become a facist country with lots of religous overtones. Its also possibly that this will take on a racist tone as well. When CNN, Fox and the other broadcast news channels show the burned bodies of dead Americans and the burned but still living children that are screaming, confused and slowly dying, the American people will simply snap. We will do something stupid and probably kill a lot (tens of millions) of innocent people in the process. Civil liberties for American citizens will be eagerly traded for promises of security and dessenters will be attacked with a violent rage that comes from the misplaced aggression they are really feeling for their attackers. The military will become glorified in the media, churches and everyday life. Like I said, we will become a facist state and our primary job will be to kick the crap out of a large segment of the world's population.

 

Say what you want, but that would be a very bad thing for not only the USA, but the entire world. We have thousands of nukes, thousands of advanced fighter, tanks and huge advantages in literally every category of military equipment. Once we reach a state of national rage where we can accept hundreds of thousands or even millions of American military casualties, there will not be any combination of countries that could stop us from killing our "enemies" by the hundreds of millions. Please understand that I am not saying this is a good thing. On the contrary, I am trying to say the opposite. Its the last thing I ever want to see. Still, its a strong possibilty if we get nuked.

 

There are two types of people. Those who back down when you punch them in the face and those who get pissed off and go crazy when you punch them in the face. Countries like Spain and France will back down, but the USA will go completely off the deep end and try to exterminate anyone connected to those who nuked us and anyone who might be willing and/or able to duplicate their actions.

 

While I do not think Europe has the potential for an episode of national insanity like the USA, I do see their attitudes changing over time. Anti-immigrant feelings are running high in Europe. If this persists long enough or if a really bad terrorist attack occurs, eventually the Europeans will start deporting Muslims and Arabs in mass. Violence against these groups will go up as well as discrimination until eventually there will also be a lot of voluntary immigration by Muslims and Arabs out of Europe as well.

 

Just remember that tolerance and generosity are only possible in environments of security and prosperity. Insecure people eventually reach the breaking point where they become intolerant. When people lose their economic prosperity, their capacity for generosity will evetually break. If history teaches us nothing else, these common human behavioral patterns are pretty clear. We are not more evolved or enlightened. Not really. We are just more secure and more prosperous than those before us. If you take those ingredients away, then people will surprise you with some of the things they are capable of doing.

 

As for the Muslims, I think the extremists will win the hearts and minds of their moderate brothers. I think they will eventually hijack Islam and spread their influence and beliefs through many areas that are currently moderate. And here is why. When they turn the USA into a crazy facist state intent on retribution and they turn Europe into a xenophobic and most likely racist set of nations, then the moderate muslims will have no other place to go.

 

The tactics of the islamic fanatics are directed against the west, but the strategy is to turn their moderate neighbors and brothers towards their beliefs. We are simply the means of their achieving this strategic goal. By turning us into intolerant fanatics, they will make it much easier to convert their moderate islamic brothers into fanatics as well.

Edited November 28, 2005 by DanM

[Primus Pilus]

Oh, by the by, current line of discussion aside, my actual prediction for the future is that at some point, I will be dead. Yes, Nostradamus I'm not, but I'm fairly confident in my accuracy.

[Favonius Cornelius]

A well thought out post there Dan, you've made me more pessimistic.

 

I still have faith in sanity however. Despite the best efforts of religious fanatics across the world to fulfill their doomsday expectations of life, you still have to go through a scientist to make it happen.

[Pertinax]

Which Monarch had his wisest courtiers produce a phrase to settle all linear arguments? I believe it was someone near Eastern- the longbeards came up with the goods though , they said " and this to will pass away" to describe any situation,tyranny or work of man.

[Sextus Roscius]

In hindsight, my statement was very poorly worded, perhaps I can clarify my thoughts.

 

Here is a better and more detailed explaination.

 

The fact that, not nessacarily a bad life is given to children, but one that is not identifying all views, so the ability of those youth is limited becuase they can't see every side to the story, and this makes them easier to be swayed one way.

 

There is also much ignorance, steriotypes, and hate exhibited from western countries towards middle eastern countries created by the view of Islam as a trouble causing religion that has few, if any, good beleifs and this creates, in people in the middle east, a negative attitude towards western culture, even if they don't particularly hate westerners.

 

This creates for a person that isn't nessacarily dumb, bad, nor had a bad life in the sense of how they lived and worked, but one that has a negative opinion towards the west, that can easily be exaggerated by people who believe a more extreme form, aka Islamist terrorist groups and radicals.

 

Also, to add to the problem, becuase of the long standing tradition, many Muslims of the poorer classes (the type generaly that becomes terrorists) have many offsprings. Terrorists have realized this, and its best noted in a quote by Osama bin Ladin

 

"The destruction of Isreal lies in the wombs of the Palestine women."

 

This refers to Isreal, but it can be adapted to the rest of the world.

 

Perhaps that helps clarify.

Edited November 28, 2005 by Sextus Roscius

[Favonius Cornelius]

Raising children with bias is hardly an exclusively Muslim thing.

[Sextus Roscius]

Obviously not, but I'm specifying that it happens in a certain area, and the inhabitants of that place have people that can use that bias to their advantage, not calling it particular only to that region.

 

Sorry, we've digressed.

 

This has got me more pessimistic than I already was.