What will the next civilization be like?

[Deja Q]

Nothing is forever.

Look what happened to Rome.

America's downfall is going to be worse.

If Bushbastard* doesn't cause it, the end of oil will.

Will humanity learn from its mistakes?

Will the next civilization provide TRUE freedoms to correct all the hypocrisies the United States has made over the last 220-something years?

Will the next civilization's media remind people to take an interest, instead of them having tune out to ignore the daily slavery for the corporate element?

If the humans in America didn't learn from the 1970s oil crisis, what's to say there will be any future at all?

[LanternWaste]

1. My conjecture

A coupla pals and I were downtown having a few drinks and we actually started playing around with the following:

Given: Every civilization is birthed, it lives and it dies. No reason to think America is any different

Question: When will America begin the "great fall" and who or what will replace it?

In a nutshell, my answer was that America began its descent in app. 1972, and will become an obvious second rate rate power by 2050. Counties aligned with or involved with Oceania will become the world's next superpower.

[slackmaster]

2. It will be a space-faring one

Everyone will dress in unisex body suits and the women will all wear purple wigs, like that cool old SciFi television series Space 1999.

On edit: OOPS, my bad. The purple wigs were in UFO, the British one where the aliens breathe blue liquid:

[opihimoimoi]

4. Only if Sanity, Reason, Common Sense, and Logic replaces the

Delusional shit we got going now.

[Mikimouse]

5. James Blish's 'prediction'

If you have not already done so, you should read the epic series by James Blish. It is entitled 'Cities in Flight', and appeared in the early 70's. Great stuff!:hippie:

[htuttle]

3. Part of the whole "Hubbert's curve" theory as I've heard it...

..is that we (and extrapolates to 'most' hypothetical species) have exactly ONE shot at building a technologically advanced civilization. Reason being that several of the technological and societal 'leaps' require a source of concentrated energy -- that usually being oil from the early days of the planet's biosphere.

When that's gone, it's gone. The species either made it through and discovered another long-term source of concentrated energy, or it's back to pre-industrial technology for good.

By the time the roaches develop thumbs and walk on two legs, there won't be any oil left for them to make their own 'march of progress'. We're it, as far as this planet's chances of reproduction goes.

[opihimoimoi]

6. So true, so true, We got one chance and thats it.

Presently wasting our energies in every manner possible.

Efficiency??? What the fuck is that???

If we were to gather 1000 other "Earths", only 1 or two would make it to the space frontier, actually colonizing other planets. Thats is my guess. What is the hurddle?? Maturity. Overcoming wasteful energies chasing Delusional Fantasies.

Together we fly

Apart we die..........

[booksenkatz]

7. Six legs, afraid of lights...

They'll surely miss our takeout cartons and dirty kitchens, though.

[JVS]

8. Watch all five Planet of the Apes movies

then you'll know

[bearfan454]

9. I hope it will be better.

But that might not be possible. Not with these people that make me want to :puke:

[rucky]

10. Mine's A Nicer Picture...

- We will no longer fight wars for oil
- We will learn to live with less
- The compassionate will help each other, while the selfish suffer alone.
- The pigs at the trough have the most to lose
- Power will shift, and a new generation will lead
- We will be forced to find renewable sources of energy
- We will produce and consume on a smaller, more localized scale.

The down side: Like most alcoholics, the oil-a-holics will have to hit bottom before recovery begins.

Those who can adapt will survive. Who's best fit for adapting - us or them? As "they" continue a myopic fight fueled by hubris and denial, we are thinking about the future. It's always a scary prospect, but we know how important it is, so we do it anyways. We have the advantage. We will prosper, and the world will be a better place because of it.