Uneasy Lies The Head
All around the world, we are seeing heightened uneasiness; stress on governments, economies, and societies. What’s going on?
A lot has changed these past few decades, some of which we know of, possibly understand a little. There may be others we are not yet aware of.
We are learning more about global warming (a.k.a, climate change); too much of it the hard way. We are just beginning to recognize that we are transitioning from the Industrial Age to the Digital/Information Age; to understand some of what this entails. We need to know and make known yet more about both; about their probable secondary and beyond effects.
The two are likely candidates as causes for some of the increased uneasiness and stress we’re seeing. There are almost certainly others (The Civil and Voting Rights Acts and the Powell Memo, for example). Likely, the concurrent convergence of Global Warming, transitioning from the Industrial to the Digital Age, and other such, is what is severely stressing poorly designed or antiquated social systems (Governments, economies, religions, civilization, etc. — social constructs). Perhaps to the point of failure. The concurrent convergence is also a likely cause of the observed heightened uneasiness amongst the informed and the less informed.
Both governments and the roles thereof have evolved. Some of this evolution is attributable to the advance/evolution of civilization; some may be due to times of uneasiness and stress caused by failed economies, etc. Both the effects of climate change and the transitioning from the Industrial to the Digital Age are of a scale that calls for new roles for government; perhaps, new types. Both are a scale of change calling for new economic models. Together, they are of a scale to cause social upheaval; wars.
The costs to date of Global Warming are staggering; growing each year. In coming years, the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) budget will exceed the federal defense budget. The costs for the feeding and care of those displaced from marginal lands will be staggering and worse. Food production costs will soar. One way or another, these costs become government expenses. These are proper roles of governments; call for more, not less government. Governments will either evolve or be overthrown. Overthrown is too often a disaster.
This transitioning from the Industrial to the Digital Age isn’t getting the attention it deserves. Adapting to the Industrial Age spanned nearly 200 years of misery. Imagine the human cost involved with this current transition taking as long. Imagine such a muddle with the Global Warming that is already baked in; if more isn’t expeditiously done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Are today’s governments up to the task? Some have done a lot in re both climate change and wealth distribution. Most have not. Some are considering going backward on both. Our own economic and government models are antiquated; unequal to the task. For years now, our government has been crippled to the point of moribundity by a congressional contingent of right-wing ignorami.
Few (if any) governments have been able to keep up with the job displacement and the associated problem of wealth distribution caused by the transitioning; few if any, with Global Warming problems. Due to the transitioning and offshoring of manufacturing, and Global Warming, many major cities lack sufficient revenue sources. Forty-plus years into the digital/information age, no government has adequately gotten rein on social media; let alone address the portents of artificial intelligence (AI).
As noted, modern economies evolved. Near the end of the Industrial Age, wages did a fairly good job distributing wealth; workers and society prospered. The Digital Age requires a much smaller workforce to produce the requisite goods and services. Thus, the distribution of wealth in the Digital Age will challenge governments and their economies.
Capitalism, the preeminent economic model of the Industrial Age, was premised on consumption and growth. Neither of these is compatible with Global Warming and world population; with the reality at hand. As witnessed by the increasing disparity over the past forty-plus years, this child of the Industrial Age doesn’t provide an effective way of distributing wealth in the Digital Age. Needed, an economic model suited to these times and the future.
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Unfortunately, given the societal lag times, greenhouse gas half-lives, etc, involved, the growing uneasiness we are now witnessing will continue to grow even if addressed. Far more so, if not. Going backward is not an option; it would be a catastrophe.
When stressed or uneasy, some people are inclined to strike out at others, seek someone to blame, blame the victim, or find someone to hate. None of these are beneficial. What’s worse, since 1964, Republican politicians have applauded, pandered to, and unabashedly exploited these tendencies. The heightened uneasiness and stress of these times, combined with these tendencies and their exploitation, played a big role in twice electing a despicable man president; in the threats to democracy seen here and around the world.
The heightened uneasiness and likely consequent stresses played a significant role in the ascension to power of more conservative religious sects in the US, the Middle East, and elsewhere. This is not surprising. Religion has long offered surety in the form of belief in times of stress and unease, uncertainty. Unfortunately, belief can be a form of denial, escapism. Neither of which is of any help. Historically, religion has been rather short on solutions. Of late, conservative Evangelical Christian voters were decisive in twice electing a despicable man president. Neither the election nor the ascension bodes well for dealing with Global Warming, the transitioning.
When we read about historic events; we think about them and try to imagine what it would have been like to have lived in those times. These are such times. Times to which we have front-row, smack dab in the middle seats.
History will tell us what we got right and wrong 25 years from now. We can’t afford to wait that long; we desperately need to figure these things out and make the necessary changes now.
How human trafficking victims are forced to run ‘pig butchering’ investment scams, YouTube