OK, we've had a bit of fun blogging about inconsequential things like window frames, deck furniture, bass and violin practice, cellos and their limitations and, of course, Catholicism but now we need to get serious.
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| "Look, seriously ..." |
Many (not Robert or Rob or Rob the artist formerly known as Rob) think that whatever the Ununited States Of America gets up to has no effect on us. Well, they're wrong. As odious as that country is and however it has caused suffering, disharmony and division in 'our world' over the last century or more it is though, in decline ... maybe we should look at a bit of history here:
It's the last of these that is of real concern but, getting back to the USA - it is in decline and has been throughout most of my lifetime. Sometimes a catalyst is needed to accelerate things - volcanic eruptions like Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompei, and the First World War which finally scuppered the British Empire - so, maybe the second term of Donald Trump as president of the USA is what is finally going to bring this big 'experiment' to its knees. It beggars belief what this seriously dumb man, but significantly wealthy and influential one, has been able to do over the last decade and, scarily, what they are letting the idiot do over the last fortnight that will have very, very serious consequences around the world and will even affect little old us down here in Godzone.
Like me our readers no doubt use common sense when trawling through media news sites and look for balance. Unfortunately there is, thanks to the internet, social media and now the new bogey - AI, a confusing mess of information, most of which is spurious, fake, ill-informed and most importantly unsubstantiated. I enjoy skipping through the 'reliable' sites like BBC, Al Jazeera, AP, Reuters, The Guardian etc. and balance this out by looking at the satyrical comedy sites like Stephen Colbert's, and John Oliver's and even have a bit of fun by checking out the low brow but dangerous sites like Fox News and NewsMax. **Warning** looking at right wing news channels will make you want to vomit or take up arms or top yourself.
One of the most reliable USA news channels is MSNBC which has as hosts some excellent and very intelligent presenters like Rachel Maddow, Ari Melber, Lawrence O'Donnell and others.
It's Lawrence O'Donnell's latest report I watched that has encouraged me to write this post. believe me, like most of his other work, this is worth watching:
If you watched that, did it scare you? I think it should have as I believe that we are on the edge of a precipice here - here in fact:
The decline has now become the fall.
10 comments:
"Unless Homo sapiens establishes successful colonies in space within the next two centuries, our species is likely to stay earthbound and will have vanished entirely within another ten thousand years," Gee.
He might be a good paleontologist, but doesn't know a lot about the impracticallities of space travel.
I watched a very convincing talk by a scientist who believed that we are in genetic decline and have only a few generations left before our genome fails due to entropy.
I agree.
Colonising other planets is impractical if not impossible.
The sheer cost and effort is better put into fixing earth.
TC
I just downloaded Henry Gee's book on the origin of invertebrits. I found him interviewed on a podcast, he's a good scientist and funny....
Some things he said...
"The future is already here it is just not being widely implemented.
Science is the organized manifestation of common sense.
Richard's Dawkins is wrong because he tries to disprove God empirically. (Henry claims to be an atheist).
Never in the field of human enquiry have so many people known so much about so little.
In science the more you find out the more you realize how ignorant you are"
Sorry the book is "Across the bridge:understanding the origin of vertebrates"
PS the thing with space travel is that there is not really empty space out there and all the tiny particles would eventually cause too much damage over time colliding with the space ship. I'm happy to be proven wrong.
Yes, I can see why you like him ..."Richard's Dawkins is wrong because he tries to disprove God empirically." It fits your narrative.
I wonder if Richard is up yet?
Maybe he is and is busy applying for that editing position you advertised. He's no doubt rereading his 'Big Book of Pedantic Grammatical Annoyances' (Bowdlerised edition).
I glove you Robert.
Sometimes not proofreading works out best.
Well, that conjures up disturbing images.
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