Human beings are at a major fork in the road in our personal development. Our story begins at the dawn of early human time when humans first used a tool to improve her condition wherever she traveled on this planet. At this time, we’ve had several indicators that illustrate that we are heading in a direction of great turmoil, freedom and an encroaching new worldview as we move forward into the unknown on this planet. Ironically, the very people who are fighting against this change are the very individuals who tapped the first domino to put things in motion. It was these people who we can thank for even discussing these topics.
Technology –
As we all know, humans have always improved their lives with a myriad of inventions that eased their day-to-day living. Every now and then, we’ve discovered technology that has leaped us forward in profound ways that, at times, we take for granted. Even the smallest discoveries have irrevocably transformed our view of the world around us. The accidental discovery of penicillin, the first major heart surgery, the model T Ford, public transportation, bridges, and sewer systems. It has come to the point where we can manipulate the nature of the atom to scientists now planning our first planetary missions to Mars. Every accomplishment shows that humanity can do anything as long as we can dream the impossible and have to courage to accept our mistakes. As much reasons for us to give up, we push ahead ready to conquer the next challenge.
One of the more profound discoveries of this time is the World Wide Web. The Internet itself has had such a major impact on human beings. It has become the quintessential discovery if not one of the top major inventions for us all. It has changed the way we communicate, interact, and opened us to every aspect of human living across lands and oceans. The economy itself has been affected. It has played a major role in restructuring the value of exchange, products and service. Who knows what further applications the Internet can have but know this; it will forever be intertwined with who we are and we will not know of a life without it before its existence.
Now, as much as it is beautiful, it is just as dangerous to the status quo. One of the key factors in maintaining control and power is the control of information. The information that’s allowed to be presented to the masses essentially shapes the perception and attitude of the whole. The supply of information has come from schools, T.V., newspapers, radio, politicians and other important public figures. The internet has become a more prominent source on where information is taken. This information now comes from a mass of people who are just as dedicated and disciplined on how information is gathered and disseminated. What I learn today can be heard around the world tomorrow. This new development combats the elite’s ability to do the very thing they’ve always done from one major civilization to the next. The cycle has been broken… and they know this.
Net Neutrality. The fight of Net Neutrality is the new major battle of this century. Elite/Corporate control vs. People Power. Net Neutrality prevents corporations from stopping users’ access to certain websites. Secondly, wealthier on-line companies would have to pay ISPs for faster service for their users. Of course, the costs would be passed off to consumers. On top of that, it would stifle the ability for on-line startups to make their way on the web. That would be the majority of the on-line companies we see today! Funny… going against Net Neutrality destroys the fundamental rule of entrepreneurship and capitalism. In February 2015, the FCC enacted an historic judgment standing in favor of the strongest net neutrality laws for the internet and its users. Let’s not cheer too long. There will be counterstrategies put forth by shadowy figures to neutralize the victory of Net Neutrality. Look on-line now and you can find the next round of fights on this subject. What could be more symbolic of the struggle between the elite and the rest of the nation/world than this battle itself? It is the nation and the world growing, contorting and molding its way into the next stage of our development. Either way, this outcome will set the pace of America and the rest of the world for the remainder of this century or possibly more.
Jobs –
It is partly the improvement of technology that has affected what tasks we perform in society. Unfortunately, politicians have had a major hand in changing the type of jobs we do today. Technology has removed quite a bit of the labor work from the manufacturing sector. Look on YouTube and see machines perform complex functions that we thought only humans could do a generation ago. Machines make our cars, sodas, pins, pens and more at blazingly fast speeds. They don’t rest, they don’t eat, and they don’t expect to get medical coverage for any work they do. As the decades past by, machines will eventually take over the majority of the work we perform today. Everything will be 95%-98% automated. It won’t be completely automated because someone will have to fix software glitches or change parts from natural wear and tear.
Politicians played a crucial role in the jobs department as I stated before. The free trade agreements and the spread of globalization had a crushing affect on jobs in the United States. Globalization101.org definition: Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. It is a broad definition but if you look deeper we’ll know the serious deleterious affects globalization has had on the world since it’s initial reach in foreign countries. In a nutshell, it was the slow and eventual takeover of major U.S. corporations in 3rd world countries. It has allowed fast-food giants, big pharma companies, brand name clothing goliaths and more to export American labor, products and services to poor countries. American products can be made cheaply and, in turn, sent back to the U.S. to be marked up 200% for citizens to buy gleefully.
Will jobs ever come back to the United States? To be honest, no, they will not. As much speeches as politicians make in front of cameras and patriotic promises by CEOS of your favorite companies, they are not coming back to the numbers they were previously. I’m not an economist or a founder of a multi-national corporation but I know basic math. If I’m an owner of a company, why would I pay someone $25 dollars here when I could indirectly use a 3rd world worker who will easily take 25 cents an hour? Think for a moment… let’s say X company transferred all of their work back state-side for the pride and survival of this country. The company would fold in a matter of months from labor costs alone. American citizens have to realize the U.S. has turned a corner in the domestic hard labor business it can never return to.
So what of the American people? They will have to seek work in low-wage jobs or redirect their energies in the dominating service/technology industries. Unfortunately, the learning curve to jump into new disciplines is a hard leap to make. If the individual doesn’t have a history in the service/technology industries, they will have to start from scratch in order to begin again in an unexpected career-shift. This takes money, time, and energy that most middle-aged people do not have. The attempt to make the switch is hard for most if the support system is a non-reality or paper-thin. This will lead to a large unemployed and underpaid section of the population. As it grows, frustration, anger and disillusionment will take hold. People will lose hope in their leadership on both sides of the aisles. People will demand change. If their frustration is not dealt with appropriately, then you know what comes next. It will be a rough transition for America to learn from. If the powers that be can’t effectively deal with this new phenomenon, we will be dealing close to mad-max-type-fury-road volatility. The good news is we will survive this. We have before. Let’s be mindful of what we can do to ride with the change in times. We can learn new disciplines; rekindle ideas of what it means to have family and friends, teach self-sufficiency, farm, and hunt. We’ll just have to be prepared for the worst.
Energy –
In the 1950s, a geoscientist named M. King Hubbert predicted that U.S. oil production would peak in the 1970s. The critics laughed but he turned out to be right. It didn’t help that the energy crisis took off when the Middle East halted sale of oil due to America’s relief to Israel during the Israeli-Arab war. After Hubbert’s famous prediction, he forecasted oil would peak again in 1995. On the contrary to Hubbert, oil consumption dropped in the early 80s. Some countering experts state that Hubbert did not account for energy efficient cars and better technology for the time. As the years went on, many geoscientists joined the argument on peak oil. The debate continues and is heavily debatable but we do know one thing: Oil production has slightly risen from yesterday’s production since Hubbert’s prediction. Keep in mind, the rise didn’t come from fresh untapped underground lakes of oil but more so from “better” alternative methods and “improved” technologies from oil companies for oil extraction. The “improved” methods used are oil fracking and horizontal drilling. It is considered the unconventional means of slurping oil out the ground. Push aside the environmental impact, fracking is the new way to go! Critics of peak oil say peaking is nowhere in sight! However, the oil fracking process is nothing more than digging deeper in places where we can no longer extract the steady numbers we used to in other holes. Fracking is like scraping the bottom of the pot when the food is near done. You just can’t get any more.
Today, we are at the cusp of a new way of using energy in our homes, travel and leisure. Since the days of proto-human, we have used any and all organic materials that could be used for light, heat and other means of living. In the last several years, that tradition has changed. As more evidence is piled on top of each other on climate change and the environmental/financial price of oil extraction, we are diverted to cleaner, cheaper means of the use of energy. The alternatives of solar, geothermal, wind, wave and hydroelectricity have been opened up to serious discussion. Several companies have utilized these renewable energy methods but it hasn’t quite caught on as yet. The opposition firmly sticks to renewables inability to produce sufficient energy to charge communities, the technology being too rudimentary and the high cost to manufacture has always been the argument. Is the technology young? Yes. Are solar panels efficient in the transfer of light to energy efficient? Not completely. Is it expensive to have one for your personal home? Yes. Despite the obvious reasons to not fully defect to renewables, it’s not quite a reason to not use them. Just like early computers built in the early 20th century, human innovation has made progress to the point where the new name for them now is… smartphone. The technology will improve.
Let’s introduce Elon Musk, the founder of Paypal, who has stepped forward to bring his new venture in the transportation business: Tesla. Why is this important? Tesla, as we all know, is an all-electric vehicle. It is the living example of where cars should be with the idea of sustainable energy in mind. In a recent publicized press conference, Musk has released the Tesla battery. It’s the answer to homeowners’ questions involving extended energy storage and power usage during long periods of serious overcast. Utililty companies are genuinely concerned about their use waning when facing the eventual rise of off-grid powered homes. It is the beginning of the end on how we utilize energy in the 21st century.
When it comes to capturing energy from alternate sources, the scientific community has an idea on harvesting the minerals and raw energy from asteroids in space. They say the only thing that would stop this idea would be money and means of extracting those minerals. To harvest these flying rocks the size of football fields would be a feat in itself, however, to speak of money in order to finance this endeavor is short-sided. The amount of financing would be hundreds of millions of dollars just to take advantage of ore that could generate trillions. The exact number is, forgive the pun, ASTRONOMICAL! So much so it borders on the ridiculous to think of it! How do you quantify the Universe and everything in it? You can’t. The Universe is so vast and brimming over in abundance it would make no sense to calculate. To deal with the Universe requires a new mode of thought in how we understand ourselves in relation to everything around us. Put this way, imagine measuring miles with a 12 inch ruler. Try and start measuring from your home to your job. Does it make sense? At some point, the scientists and people will understand this concept. Out from this moment, a new birth of thought will occur. I will forever change the way we live from that point on.
So there you have it… technology, jobs and energy are the golden markers indicating the push into a new world. The signs have begun to show. Like it nor not, respect it or not, understand it or not, it is coming and we will have to adapt to it. We are moving into a time where we have to rethink a new way of life. The individuals responsible for these new means of living, unknowingly setting us on that path, haven’t yet realized it. They’re fighting tooth and nail to maintain the power dynamic, which fit that old socio-political model in past generations. Change will be needed. Change will be hard. Change will be cleansing. Change will be violent but change will come. What will you be doing during that change?
Written by Nova Phoenix