When you take a good long look at the progress of technology and the progress of the human race there is a disconnect which doesn't make any sense. In times of great technological advancement you'd think that the quality of life on earth for the human race would increase and there would be yet another move towards enlightenment, education, and general mutual understanding. But, that doesn't seem to be the case.
During my childhood, basically the 60s, there was an incredible energy towards space exploration, human rights, ending war, and peace in general. Things were being improved on a regular basis and since then technology has gone crazy.
The goals that I was raised to have was to become well educated, choose a profession with a high level of expertise, and become a successful person. It wasn't to make a lot of money, but making enough money to live well, but rather to do something to advance the cause of humanity in some way. Become a doctor, lawyer, or Indian Chief was the common phrase. But this also included the sciences and the arts.
Within this framework I figured that throughout time society would move forward towards a utopia of some kind. I was comparing the crude days of Monarchies and Dictatorships to the advent of Democracy, justice, and equality of humans no matter who they were. I reasoned that with the coming technological advances the human race would also develop itself into a higher form of being. Better educated, better informed, better skilled, and more humane. My logic taught that we would be able to rid the world of hunger and poverty, and create a world where violence was no longer necessary at any level. I figured that weapons would become obsolete on all levels because we wouldn't need them any longer. People would become reasonable.
This clearly is not happening. In fact, society is going down a path I never thought could happen. We are in a mode of degeneration. Education is being mocked, science is being deemed evil, and reality is being replaced by myths. There is a mass proliferation of weapons, especially personal weapons, and an ever increasing influence of the ignorant, stupid, and naive on the leaders in government and finance. At the top of all of this are a few people who smile glibly at the folly of the masses.
Responsibility, accountability, and justice seem to be completely gone. Just do whatever you want and take whatever you can get. We are seeing the success of people with no character and the disdain for people of quality. The entire fabric of a higher level of society is being destroyed before our very eyes, and everyone seems absolutely fine with it.
To me, it is shocking. My father's family was a country farming family. Their children all served in the military, went to college and got degrees, most could play instruments, and respected the arts, science, and revered high achievement. Today, it seems like the only thing that is revered is sloppy dress, big pick up trucks, red neck culture that prides itself on narrowmindedness and ignorance. It make me sick to be honest.
Life is easier this way. I am no longer required to 'dress up' for anything. In fact, the sloppier I dress the better people seem to relate to me. But, I don't want that for myself.
The other day my brother, the professor, was talking about having his students write a paper. His daughters promptly told him that the students of today wouldn't do it...because they didn't have to anymore. Since when do the students get to tell the teachers what and how to teach? How are they to learn anything? Are people no longer to be expected to be challenged? Is that 'too much to ask'? Geez!
When you consider society in 2024, to 2000, to 1900, to 1800, and on down by the century you will discover that society vastly changes in 100 years. My parents were born in the Depression, Their parents were born at the beginning of the industrial revolution. I was born during the boom time in America of the 1960s. Today, kids are brought up in a world of 1000 TV channels, endless streaming apps, shopping from the internet, cell phones, and now the beginning of AI where it will be able to take over duties from us. The year 2100 will most likely be so different than 2000 and it something I will not see.
But, with all of the advancement in technology, will society advance? There is no indication that this will happen. IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND. Humans will continue to kill, go to war, do each other harm, take advantage of each other and great wars will be fought only to end realizing that war solves nothing about our society other than show us human insanity at its highest level.
My prediction for the future is not a good one. My vision for the future is but nobody seems to be talking about what 'could be'. Instead, it feels like we are all engrossed in the petty dramas of our own degenerating society.
I honestly don't know how the present course ends well other than the goodness of people prop it up before it goes completely to heck.