Ed,
Problem is, I've only acquired a pit pony in life. And he's only fit
for pasture, not carrying me. But anyway I might change my ticket.
One of them has the promise of 72 virgins. Only for chatting with,
you understand? But what about you? St Peter uses a metal detector
these days and turns away people with inorganic kneecaps and other
sundries. I'm sorry about that. But if I'm there first I'll give you
a wave before you go. I'll be busy making "KEEP OFF" notices. I'm
going to plant them on every vacant piece of land I can find up
there. It might keep Harry away from the subject when he arrives.
Keith
P.S. . . . though I doubt it.
At 12:50 09/10/2011, you wrote:
Keith, you are a true prophet. You should be on your horse
galloping through the skies, waving your flaming sword. By what you
have said, Heaven is not something that may or may not get to after
we die, but a stable Earth with a stable trading currency,
sufficient resources for all of humanity, a sufficient body of
skills with workers being paid a decent wage, and the production of
truly new and useful consumer goods.
I'll buy that. And when you have written your Bible, I'll abide by it.
All the best,
Ed
----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:[email protected]>Keith Hudson
To: <mailto:[email protected]>RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME
DISTRIBUTION, ,EDUCATION
Sent: Sunday, October 09, 2011 5:18 AM
Subject: [Futurework] Four Relevant Horsemen
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as described in the bizarre
Book of Revelation, and charging forth on their white, red, black
and pale steeds are commonly supposed to represent Conquest, War,
Famine and Death. A pretty gruesome quartet! To a writer in the
Mediterranean region two thousand years ago, and living under the
whip of a gruesome Roman Empire, those four facts of life were
pretty accurate for those times. However, "Conquest" and "War" are
rather too similar, so let me describe "Conquest" more specifically
as conquest by unfriendly viruses and bacteria. Actually, this
revised version -- Disease, War, Famine and Death -- pretty
accurately describes the daily fears of millions of people in the world today.
And, in truth, they're not so very far removed from the fears of
people in advanced countries either! But they're rather too brutal
to face them directly so let me (brutally!) repress them and replace
them with what I think are Four Relevant Horsemen which thoughtful
people, particularly politicians and economists, ought to be dwelling on.
1. The lack of a stable world-wide trading currency. The two
existing predominant trading currencies, the US dollar and the
Eurozone euro are hosted and printed by governments which are
technically bankrupt as well as many, if not most, of their
synergistic financial institutions. To quote Sir Mervyn King, the
Governor of the Bank of England, two or three days ago: "The world
faces a worst financial disaster than at any time in history."
2. World overpopulation and consequent resource shortages, of which
recyclable freshwater for agriculture has been the first to hit us.
Inevitably this will mean steadily higher food prices for all in the
advanced countries from now onwards (and proportionately more
starvation for many others).
3. The steadily increasing automation of mass consumer goods and
services is causing a growing skills gap between interesting,
well-paid, value-adding jobs and the remainder. The notion of full
employment started dying two or three decades ago has now gone
forever, and real average wages (taking inflation into account) have
been declining pari passu. Long-term unemployment by the middle-aged
has been growing as is, more recently, the beginning of lifetime
unemployment by an increasing number of illiterate and innumerate
young from our dysfunctional state schools.
4. All countries are now proceeding towards a remarkably similar,
highly-dense urban way of life which is characterized by a
stabilized range of consumer goods and services subject only to
marginal improvements. The great "assembly chain" of uniquely new
consumer goods that energized the industrial-consumer revolution of
the last 300 years has now become something more like an airport carousel.
A modern Apocalypse? Not necessarily. We'll probably adapt to
whatever the economic and ecological environments impose on us.
Periods of enforced stabilization have happened before in many
previous civilizations. Sooner or later -- with any luck -- we will
have a break-out and a new pattern of daily life will emerge. My own
view is that the break-outs will arise from the huge programme of
research now going on in the genetic (and epigenetic) sciences. I
think they will produce revolutionary developments, particularly in
education and health. If the past history of innovation is any guide
at all, they're likely to come from the young and, usually, from
outside the conventional mainstream of a discipline. We shouldn't
forget the millions of unemployed young people who are now
accumulating in many countries. There are, and will be, many
frustrated geniuses among them. With an increasingly versatile
Internet as their tutor we can reasonably expect huge surprises in
our present conventional political institutions.
Keith
Keith Hudson, Saltford, England http://allisstatus.wordpress.com/2011/10/
----------
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Keith Hudson, Saltford, England http://allisstatus.wordpress.com/2011/10/
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