Well, that was bleak.
And we haven’t even considered how our societies are closing on a tipping point unlike any that came before. Even if we ignore how a surge to democracy has done a sharp about-turn and switched to a rise of autocracies.
Extreme weather events will put a massive global population under unprecedented pressure and I’ve not even mentioned ARTIFICIAL intelligence (Ai). While Ai is currently very artificial and not very intelligent, it will increase productivity which will mean more money for the wealthy and less for the poor. That should offer you a strong incentive to learn more about how Universal Basic Income (UBI) works, though perhaps don’t get too excited about the idea of money for nothing, I’ve not yet seen a convincing model of it in the context of almost all jobs for humans being lost.
Let’s not even consider the the potential that General Artificial Intelligence brings to the table with its potential threat of a maniacal Skynet future. UBI definitely isn’t going to be a lot of use in that case, though a future with a Charles Forbin Colossus style benevolent dictator computer might make it a core principle of their global society. Along with the utter subservience of the human race to its computer overlord.
And regardless of how realistic UBI on a mass scale could be, Colossus is likely the only way UBI would happen without your input. The heffalumps sure aren’t going to implement it. That’s not why they want us divided and living in autocratic societies where only they get to make personal choices.
I get why most people won’t risk chaos for change. We’re blue shirt guys in the intended non-playing character mode, not the Ryan Reynolds style free guy mode.
But we still have power that we can use.
As a kid, I was taught to say thank you. Most of the time that was easy and painless enough. It became difficult and painful at birthday and Christmas times. Then there would be people to thank who weren’t present.
Oh, the pain of having to find pen and paper to then have to write a thank you letter and then have to write another because I made a mistake and then find an envelope to seal it in and then find their address and then write that address on the envelope and then do the 10-minute walk to the post office and then queue to buy a stamp and then put the letter in the post box and then go back into the post office and explain I forgot to put the stamp on the envelope. Oh, the life-draining hassle. Why couldn’t there be an easier way?
And now there is. Email and social media make it simple to say thank you in a few seconds. Do you know who your political representatives are at the local and national level? Find their email address and tell them what you want from them. They work for you, you pay their salary. And if you’ve got no specific request and you’ve never contacted them before, just tell them “You’re my little puppy dog, bow wow wow.”
For all of social media’s negatives, one of the most powerful tools for dividing and weakening societies is also a powerful channel to help people unite.
Stop looking at people as being from the right, left or centre and see them as allies in your fight against the heffalumps for less inequality. Use social media to organise yourselves. Big united groups of people send a strong message, even online.
But big united groups send a particularly strong message in real life. Even if you only join in once every election cycle.
Just imagine the look on the faces of newly elected politicians as they listen to the first King’s speech of a new government or enjoy the inauguration of a new President, while carried on the breeze is the resolute beat of many human voices declaring “You’re my little puppy dog, bow wow wow.”
Will it make a difference?
Politicians mostly crave power and they need to be re-elected to continue enjoying power, so yes, it could cause some kind of change. Though it’s likely to be an awkward balancing act for them keeping the poorest happy while still sucking up to the wealthy.
Will it make the big difference you and your society deserve?
Sorry, for that, you probably need to embrace chaos.
“Everybody to the bat-ship, everybody to the bat-ship, everybody to…”