I feel like our whole lives here in the US we’ve been told to expect things to just generally keep getting better, seemingly forever. Like, that’s the narrative of “progress.” The economy just keeps growing, the nation just keeps getting richer, technology just keeps getting better, living standards just keep getting better, so forth and so on. But, that was probably never realistic, or even feasible. I mean, no civilization progresses forever. Essentially every civilization that’s ever existed has followed a pattern of ascension followed by decline. Many of the most notable civilizations ascended very quickly and dramatically, and then collapsed just as quickly and dramatically. Why should we expect to be any different? What makes us think we won’t follow the same pattern as basically every other civilization in history?
It would’ve continued if we’d left competent people in charge instead of handing the keys over to the absolute WORST people in the world. Now we’re about to lose:
All of the benefits of diversity
Open computing and ownership of hardware/software on any consumer devices
The open internet
All of the momentum on the transition to alternative energy
All the progress made on CO2 emissions
Freedom of travel
Free elections
All rights to privacy
Safe products and foods
Ownership of housing
…all thanks to the shittiest people you’ve ever met, and all because enough people got convinced that we SHOULDN’T murder them before their cancerous bullshit metastasized into society.
Humanity would be doing GREAT if not for the humans.
I think the problem is that, at some point, the powers that be decided that “better” is synonymous with “more appended zeroes”. We (and presumably any society) could ostensibly have kept growing indefinitely, provided we agreed that the ever-increasing personal wealth of the few (to the detriment of the many) does not constitute growth.
I feel like our whole lives here in the US we’ve been told to expect things to just generally keep getting better, seemingly forever. Like, that’s the narrative of “progress.” The economy just keeps growing, the nation just keeps getting richer, technology just keeps getting better, living standards just keep getting better, so forth and so on. But, that was probably never realistic, or even feasible. I mean, no civilization progresses forever. Essentially every civilization that’s ever existed has followed a pattern of ascension followed by decline. Many of the most notable civilizations ascended very quickly and dramatically, and then collapsed just as quickly and dramatically. Why should we expect to be any different? What makes us think we won’t follow the same pattern as basically every other civilization in history?
It would’ve continued if we’d left competent people in charge instead of handing the keys over to the absolute WORST people in the world. Now we’re about to lose:
…all thanks to the shittiest people you’ve ever met, and all because enough people got convinced that we SHOULDN’T murder them before their cancerous bullshit metastasized into society.
Humanity would be doing GREAT if not for the humans.
Meanwhile, my whole life, things have either gotten worse or stagnated.
Change is the only constant. One chapter ends, another begins.
Have you ever considered that trans people are the reason that we don’t keep progressing forever? /s
I think the problem is that, at some point, the powers that be decided that “better” is synonymous with “more appended zeroes”. We (and presumably any society) could ostensibly have kept growing indefinitely, provided we agreed that the ever-increasing personal wealth of the few (to the detriment of the many) does not constitute growth.