08/13/2010 Continuation of Analysis of several Futurist
Upon further review of assigned readings regarding futurist, it became apparent that although very knowledgeable, the wishful and sometimes whimsical ideas that have been presented represent on more than pie in the sky thinking and attempt to bring our attention to alternative issues that are in play. Several ideas have been thrown around and terms like Skynet have been raised. The easiest way to discuss this would be to say nonsense and this cannot be done. Who am I or others to say that this will never happen. Review of the past conjure's up the ideas of laying telephone wires across the ocean floor in order to enable communication was once touted as nonsense. Some said that this could never be accomplished. Wireless telephones that could transmit pictures as late as the middle 1970's was wishful thinking and was dreaming to some. The adage of "The body can achieve whatever the mind believes" comes into play. Let us examine the ideas that where in fact present by such great as:
* H.G. Wellls. The ideas where dismissed as non attainable or just Science Fiction. As noted on page 212, "Wells also made many erroneous predictions involving future technology and society's fate among them that eugenics would continually improve humanity through selective breeding and weed out criminal and other undesirable elements and to control population. This simple idea of profiling has continually been raised. All of us can see first hand how egregious the idea of controlling the population via selective breeding has become. Similarly the Nazi regime had similar ideas in the early 1940's
Not long ago we saw Buck Rogers and is ideas of rocket ships. These where just cartoons and not supposed to be real. Who is to say that Plasma Warp Drives and ScramJets will not one day replace the conventional Turbo Fan engines of today.
Sigmond Freud in 1928 wrote "The Future of Illusion" and makes reference to the Inevitable transition. He further goes on to aver that "Religion is a lost cause" If this is the case and he is correct, we need to go back in time and study such writings that contradict the facts. What is religion. The earliest of earthly inhabitants believed back in the stone age. Early Greeks practiced worship of multiple gods and it was not until the practice of monotheism did the idea of religion begin to take on the heat of public riduclule . The religious beliefs in this country are still strong and will remain so for a long time. We are on the cusp of another religious crusade and the idea of Christian, Hindus, and all the other organized religions v Muslim is very real.
Winston Churhill in 1932 wrote and article entitled "Fifty years Hence" in which he attempts to predict the future. As mentioned in "The Fortune Sellers" (Sherden, 1998)
Edward Bellamy and his ideas of Utopian living where indicative of far out thinking. In 1887, he wrote the "Looking Backward from the year 2000) The idea a class inequity and ignorance being eradicated is humorous by today's standards. Utopian ideas have always been presented and unfortunately the authors of such works fail to acknowledge the attitudes and bad behavior of mankind. This has always been and will always be no matter what governments attempt to create.
Karl Marx who is known as the father of communism predicted how the proletarist would in fact take over the world by forming centralized governments to manage the distribution of power, administering the social and welfare reforms and bring about the total infusion of socialism. As noted on pate 204, "How could Marx have imagined that in today's capitalist society and with regard to current management beliefs that employees are valued assets"
As a personal choice, I choose to follow the predictions of several authors and not one person. We must understand the predicting the future is gender neutral.
One great American knew more than any prophet of his day. A founder of our country, he even predicted our current predicament. If he could see the state of our government right now, I am sure that he would be handing out guns (or muskets and swords as they were in his time).
Upon doing a study of the Futurist, I was able to isolate one individual who was ahead of his time. How was this person (name left blank ) able to predict the future with such accuracy? The dynamics of who he is will become evident when you read the last quote which was written and published in 1802.
Quotes
* When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt
as Europe ..TJ
* The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. TJ
* It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world. TJ
* I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from waisting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. TJ
* My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. TJ
* No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. TJ
* The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. TJ
* The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. TJ
* To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. TJ
This great futurist (Thomas Jefferson) said in 1802:"'I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.'
How did this great man arrive at these predictions over 200 years ago, and how did he know that they would be correct.
Resources:
* Halal, William, E, "Technology's Promise" 2008, Palgrave MacMillin Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, ISBN: 13: 978-0-230-01954-6
* Sherden, William, A, "The Fortune Sellers," 1998, John Wiley and Sons Inc. 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10158-0012, ISBN 0-471-18178
*www.Thomas Jefferson Quotes.com
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