The Monday Essay

POSSIBLE

December 2012: Chaos or Opportunity?

 

This is neither a prophecy nor a prediction. There are so many remarks and comments that can be said, so it is better to say little

It is also an opportunity to put forth a better world.

Many people feel the human species might be running into  very uncertain times; thus we are also globalized in collective fears,  also not just communications, trade, business and wireless gadgets.

 Some people have the feeling that we might be going into a dip, over a bottomless cliff. However, there are options, beyond the Mayan Calendar, beyond dooming prophecies of Nostradamus, or what have you. Here are some options we can consider

1.      We can redress a world of scarcity into a world of abundance for the many. Looking from the positive side,  the world population stands at some 7,000 million people (year 2010)  Humans could  be considered  powerful resource (because we can learn and create, rocks can’t) : Of course there is  as a challenge in feeding and educating them  and build whole new communities, not only better business and services.  Four decades ago a large population was considered a “population bomb”. Hard to feed, hard to educate and hard to provide running water and electricity, know the world know how: WE can build the when and the specifics. Even large population countries such and India, China, Indonesia, Russia, Mexico and so forth are increasing their wealth at enormous speeds,  being called in many respects “emerging” countries. It’s possible.

2.      We could change radically negative or pessimistic attitudes towards each other. Stop blaming, decrease complaining. Start embracing, develop gentleness to each others, and stop finger-pointing altogether. This is difficult, because it is long ingrained in all spheres and most people and organizations. Instead seek and instill cooperation and good will in all levels of society. Millions of years of biological evolution in the planet are the best proof this works[1], it has been tried and it is highly successful. Non for profit development Banks in most regions prove this is true. “Grammen Bank”—The Bank of the Poor-- has successfully being alive for decades in Bangladesh, the payment rate of such micro credits is higher than the regular banking system.. Even micro credits are good business in the poor Bangladesh. Another resilient and recent example is how war torn Vietnam, who lost over a million inhabitants, healed its wounds, and reconstructed itself and is prospering. Therefore, it is possible.

3.      Small is beautiful[2]  works. Huge problems do not have one solution, but many small ones, local, regional.  Centralization and decentralization are combined. Nature works like this. Through many wars over the centuries, and lack of cooperation the European order has collapsed in two world wars. Now it is learning strong cooperation. Even the economic difficulties of Greece, Ireland and Portugal, have met with strong financial cooperation from the EU, even in the worst of scenarios. It is possible.

4. Reconversion of the Industrial Military Complex or war industries. The spatial industry is in its infancy. There are embryonic examples of the ISS or International Space Station is huge high-tech cooperation for space travel and space colonization. This would liberate huge amount of money and resources to build-up in many areas such as training, health-care, real estate, smaller cities and better quality of life. It is not ease, but certainly possible.
5.    Unite humankind to foster strong cooperation; respecting and agreeing to disagree, we are different in languages, belief, customs, foods, and currencies and so forth.  There is no longer a need to oppress, suppress or wipe out communities, ethnic diversities. Not easy, but possible.
6.  Develop new green energy sources, to foster a sustainable economy and well-being for the many. Fast track from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas to hydrogen based, solar based, geothermal and others. Again combined the big power structures and the small regional plants. It can be done.
7. Continue the fast transition from a book and literacy based culture, to a sedentary dwellings  and  on-the-run,  "digital nomadic culture". According to some accounts there a 5 billion Mobile phones in the planet. Of course most are second generation phones and not Smartphones (3G).  The internet, the 3G will develop in the 4G (LTE) and then into telepathic internet. What some years ago was clalled the “noosphere” by Pierre Theillard the Chardin. It is being done.

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[1] There is a wealth of Studies of cooperation starting even from bacteria. Humans do a much better work. One of the Classic studies is the book:  “The Evolution of Cooperation” Robert Axelrod. Basic Books.

[2] This slogan is credited to E F Shumacher in the 1950 decades, when big size projects were the norm