- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- Messages
- 39,799
Oh ..there will be no Utopia ..unless we can trump Universal Law.
Let's say there were unlimited resources and zero liability energy. No pollution ..no side effects. Fine ..we'll all end up in some Gene Roddenberry future. We'll all come to our senses when everyone can have any and everything. No need to covet what others have ..for any reason.
...and in the evolution toward that, if it were attainable, the capitalistic model is surely the absolute perfect template to use. Each member of the seamless population of humanity contributing to the global enterprise. Each member having shares commensurate with the marketable worth of their contribution. Absolute perfection in distribution of resources and benefits.
...but that ignores the basic human condition. There's a whole lot of turf to be fought over in the meantime ..and those who have it aren't easily convinced to part with it. That is, they don't have to be the wisest or the most contributing to have "it" just powerful enough to retain it ..and bolster their ability to continue to do so.
..but we don't have unlimited or even sustainable resources ..so the capitalistic model will have the entire mass of humanity competing for an increasing share of a declining market. More and more members of humanity will have less and less "worth" and fall out of the shareholders realm.
..that brings us back to a massive war or a plague to provide an on going or temporary solution until we master those untidy details of theoretical models.
Otherwise, Soylent Green wasn't science fiction ..it was a futurist's depiction of totally predictable outcomes.
Let's say there were unlimited resources and zero liability energy. No pollution ..no side effects. Fine ..we'll all end up in some Gene Roddenberry future. We'll all come to our senses when everyone can have any and everything. No need to covet what others have ..for any reason.
...and in the evolution toward that, if it were attainable, the capitalistic model is surely the absolute perfect template to use. Each member of the seamless population of humanity contributing to the global enterprise. Each member having shares commensurate with the marketable worth of their contribution. Absolute perfection in distribution of resources and benefits.
...but that ignores the basic human condition. There's a whole lot of turf to be fought over in the meantime ..and those who have it aren't easily convinced to part with it. That is, they don't have to be the wisest or the most contributing to have "it" just powerful enough to retain it ..and bolster their ability to continue to do so.
..but we don't have unlimited or even sustainable resources ..so the capitalistic model will have the entire mass of humanity competing for an increasing share of a declining market. More and more members of humanity will have less and less "worth" and fall out of the shareholders realm.
..that brings us back to a massive war or a plague to provide an on going or temporary solution until we master those untidy details of theoretical models.
Otherwise, Soylent Green wasn't science fiction ..it was a futurist's depiction of totally predictable outcomes.