A Speculation on the Elite
December 29th, 2013
So, we have this game, American football, where 60,000+ people show up weekly. Count baseball and basketball, and you have TENS OF THOUSANDS, daily. If only a tiny fraction of them were to go down to the statehouses and demand, let’s say, universal healthcare, seriously, we would have this shit over in a pinch. It would be done. But, well, I guess people don’t care so much about those things, but they do care about sports and entertainment, that’s for sure. Here’s a little motivation for you: in 20 years, things going the way they are, sports will not exist anymore. Besides the sport of scrounging for survival in a hellish wasteland, of course.
We could get a lot done if we all got up and moving, and you know, had a tailgate on the front lawn of the statehouse on a Monday or something. It can happen.
Another thing: While thinking of potentiality again, that is, the ability of the human race to keep our future intact without losing the great gains of modernity thus far, toward a greater future that we know be possible. But the method seems a bit different now, whereas before I had calculated that it was absolutely necessary for a full overhaul of our system in order for our future to be alive, as in, without that there would be wars and destruction and enough loss of energy that it would handicap all of future possible society, and we would never get back to having things function as smoothly as they do now, to the point of future spaceflight and grand projects of that scale would be impossible for all of our future, not matter what’s left after wars for resources ensue after the idiotic people in charge steamroll this world right off the cliff. So, I was thinking about that again, and I realized something. I always assumed that the reason these people (the ones behind the media and the politics and the money, etc.), the reason they do not make the reforms necessary to empower the people, make a good future, and utilize resources well, the reason they don’t do that (and this was my previous thinking, and surely it still has merit), was that they did not know any better. They think that they can get away with these things and all will be just fine and dandy because they have faith in the system as it stands, and that faith is powerful. Also that they like their power, position and any deviation from the status quo is a threat to that. I used to think that these were the reasons. Because in the face of such obvious ruin, those at the reins must be oblivious or ignorant or blind to it, right?
Well, there’s another possibility, and it’s ugly, and it’s what I’m getting at here. The structural loss of jobs, employment, in manufacturing sectors that is based on increasing technology – I had not factored that into the analysis of our potentiality – that is, for every day that things become more automated, the less necessary it is for us to work (the protestant work ethic bearing its fruit), such it is then, that so long as damage to global trade infrastructure can be minimized, and most of the population left dead from fighting each other, and the people in charge handling the military firepower, preventing people from access to what little clean water and food and shelter, etc.
At the time of the resource wars possibly to come, and so long as they can defend that infrastructure militarily (though we’re really getting into tactics here, most likely any attempt to preserve the global trade infrastructure militarily will fail, as the resources to keep it going drain away). Nevertheless, there is a slight chance that after a war of that magnitude, there may be a serviceable structure left for the few people around to supervise and utilize.
So, here are the elite’s goals (unless they are painfully stupid. Of course, if they had half a brain to begin with, they would do the reforms necessary to make the world better; so we’re assuming now an intellectual capacity of, say, a witty dolphin.)
1. Increase automation in all sectors of raw material extraction and manufacture.
2. Defend infrastructure militarily and increase weapons and defense.
3. Increase disparity between wealthy and everyone else.
* Continue policies 1-3 (and others that support them) until breaking point.
4. Hide behind large walls until the people all kill or eat each other. This could take years. The perpetrators will feel morally safe (absolving themselves of responsibility for the end of civilization), through fear itself.
5. Restart protected, automated infrastructure with smaller population.
The once tycoon/politician/media mogul stands before his flock. He says, “There was a big, bad war. We had to hide from the bad guys, but they’re all gone now. We can live in peace.” Hugging his grand-daughter, he feels a swell of pride and relief, willfully ignorant of his own catastrophic cowardice.
6. The most cowardly, morally bankrupt, heartless, oblivious, irresponsible, willfully ignorant, entitled, vacuous, blood-sucking, and unimaginably stupid. These people inherit the earth.
This is their “best case scenario”. Really though, the walls would not help them. We’re going to heaven or hell together, all together.
They are afraid of population growth. They are afraid of people. They are so very afraid. I want to tell them that it will be okay. Just a little tiny bit of faith in your fellow. That is all that it takes. Just faith in your neighbor. Take that in as your truth, and the greed and the selfishness and the fear; it will all melt away.
*****
“I don’t have to listen to this!” the man says.
“Yes you do! The pied piper did your dirty work and now he’s calling you!”
The man laughs. “What are you going to do about it? Arrest us? Ha!”
“No. Were I the policeman, I would, but I am not. But I will show how your beliefs will end you and everyone you care about.”
“I am sick of cow towing your bullshit fad every week, some other shit to distract people from seeing they have a hand in this world. And your pathetic attempts to get everyone to think “nothing matters” … Do you know how many good, strong, brilliant, young men and women you have driven to death? I will not stand for it any more.”
Kewl you should come up with that. Exllceent!