Earth 2204!

[A_Wanderer]

I am sick of seeing the world today - the violence, brutality and sheer madness, I want peoples opinions of what they think the world will be like in 200 years.

Consider this, in the early 19th Century people could kill eachother using this.

Today in the early 21st Century we can kill eachother with this

Is this the sum total of our progress, better ways to kill eachother?

I throw that one out to you, what do you think the shape of the world will be in 200 years, will it be Utopia - peace and love all over or will it be a total Distopia with the last remnants of humanity fighting over the remains of a scorched earth, will it be the same with slightly better technology, will it be a global theocracy or even a worldwide fascist police state?

I want the answers of where you think humanity is heading, looking ahead 200 years when today has as much relevance as the Napoleonic period (that is not downplaying the importance of the Napoleonic period). Look beyond the battles and conflict today to the future, leaving some of the more unsavoury elements out there for you to decide on.

 

[starsgoblue]

I hate guns...I support U2's stance on them We think we're getting better and better all the time, are we really or are we coming up wtih fancy ways to destroy ourselves?

 

[AcrobatMan]

I am very much optimistic about the future !!

Science & technology , love , lust , peace and trust will prevail over lies, propoganda, fantasies, and half-truths.....

in atleast 80% of the world !!!

 

[beli]

Personally, I think we kill each other with this:

 

[STING2]

I think by 2304, we will be living in a completely interdependent prosperous world, where there is a world democratic government based on the ideals found in western democracy's today, and the economic system will be western style capitalism. English will be the language used throughout the world, although technology will have made the whole issue of language a rather moot point. We will essentially have the United States of the World. War and poverty will have long ceaced to be problems.

I know thats a rather optimistic view of the future, but its what I think. Notice I said 2304 and not 2204, because I think it will take at least 300 years to achieve this.

 

[DrTeeth]

I agree with Sting. If we can manage to survive the next couple of centuries, things will be looking good. Unfortunately, there will be a huge amount of unnecessary killing and dying ahead first.

 

[EvolutionMonkey]

if we make it that far and that's the big question isn't it, I see a world very similar to movies like Gattaca, AI and Minority Report. A world that is very dependent on Technology but in many ways more lacking in emotions and passion then even today. With a majority of crime wiped out it will be a better world to live in but i also have a feeling like the movie Gattaca people will be like drones going to work and having less passion then even today in things such as music.

When i look at people today compared to even 10 years ago i can see a difference in their interest in music has gone down and obviously music has gone down as well at least popular music although it's making as slight comeback this year. So if that can happen in 10 years imagine music then.

I do think technlogy will be our escape then with Virtual Reality like that holodeck on Star Trek.

Even though most crimes will be eliminated and nobody will have a gun to carry around, each person will have his/her own portable nuclear bomb to carry around.

 

[AussieU2fanman]

Well for starters, social darwinism would have taken hold (I believe) of primitive peoples of the world as the civilized Western world expands leaving most of the black population with no hope. This is primarily due to the ethical imbalance or absence in the future world. Ethics will be past its used by date and technology will continue to advance without any real concern for who it is affecting. There will be wars, however, it will be between the Western and primitive societies which will eventually lead to the primitive downfall and discapation. There will be new beings in other galaxies discovered and yes, the planet Mars will be a flourishing society. There is great tension between different species ie. humans and aliens. Planetary wars will be fought and superweapons to destroy planets similar to star wars will be available. Ok I could crap on for days about my predictions, but for now its bedtime!

 

[Klaus]

It would be wonderful if our Philosophy and Ethics would improve as fast as our Weapon programs - well, maybe we just don't spend enough resources in improving the first.

2204? It might be even more technological advanced,even faster, even more violent...

 

[nbcrusader]

Personally, I think we kill each other with this:

It has done a good job so far.....

 

[Kieran McConville]

It's no good complaining about weapons when you advocated global peace through deadly force, Wanderer. Or have you dropped that line now?

 

[A_Wanderer]

Guns are tools, they do a lot of damage to flesh. I would love to see a world without guns or violence, but that cannot happen until their is no more need for them as a tool. This can only happen when the entire world has progressed to a point where technology and knowledge are spread around equally. Where people can live their lives as individuals and not slaves to religion or government. I want to see a world without despotism, I believe that one can overthrow despotic systems and establish the conditions for free and open societies. There is no contradiction here - one can hate violent force but still be prepared to advocate it in particular situations.

I am illustrating a point about technological progress - the ammount of progress in weapons seems apt considering that we have not been able to put an end to war. Following on from this one can ask that in 200 years will we have realized how to exist as human beings in peace or will we have devised more leathal weapons to kill eachother.

I personally do not like guns, bullets are terrible things - bits of metal which push their way through skin, flesh and bone, they are bad, I would like to see a world without guns but when it comes to saving innocent lives, yes I would advocate armed conflict. I hate war, it is one of the most awful things that there is but there are worse things - if innocent people are dying because of a flawed policy of containment is it not better to solve the problem and stop more people from dying? Freedom can be fought for.

 

[Hawk269]

I think everyone's vision of the future is colored to a large extent by their faith in mankind.

If you believe that human beings ultimately prefer to live in harmony instead of killing each other in a Darwinian survival mode, then your vision of the future will be a positive one. If you believe the opposite, then we will all be nuclear toast in a few hundred years.

I just hope we stop wasting innocent people's lives for no good reason. To me, that is the greatest inhibitor of progress for the human species.

 

[Klaus]

I just hope we stop wasting innocent people's lives for no good reason

This would be wonderfull - but i'm affraid there allways will be people who prefer others to risk their lifes because of the "visions" and "ideals"

 

[A_Wanderer]

Or those who just want to exterminate others because they dont agree with their "visions" and "ideals".

 

[anitram]

This can only happen when the entire world has progressed to a point where technology and knowledge are spread around equally.

Ah, but you bring up an interesting point. Whose equality?

The earth does not have enough resources to support 6 billion people living American lifestyles. It is simply not feasible. For you to have true equality, there are people whose lives are going to be immensely improved, but on the flip side, there are millions who will have to settle for a far less wasteful existence. And I think the latter is the problem - look how many crow about free trade and losing a penny to the third world. Imagine them giving up their 2500 sq foot houses and 2nd car and 3rd TV and so on.

True equality is a dream of the lower classes, the bottom 90%. The top 10% is what is preventing it.

 

[A_Wanderer]

I assume that as living standards increase birth rates decrease drastically and you will reach an equillibrium. Also we can cut down on the waste of societies, energy resources become less of a problem as you gain fusion power (forget greeny renewable crap).

Equality in knowledge and technology is not the same thing as homogenous equality. Such an even spread that ensures that every person can get an education and have clean water, sanitation etc. is not impossible.