'It's in your nature to destroy yourselves.'

POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Tuesday, April 4, 2006 00:00
VIEWED: 4699
PAGE 1 of 5

1 2 3 4 5 NEXT PAGE

CHRISISALL

Thursday, March 30, 2006 5:50 PM

-Chilling line from a rather obscure B-movie.

"Now America's just another broke, ex-superpower, looking for a handout, and wondering why." - from a TV show I kinda liked.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same." - some guy named Snake.

Where are we gonna be by 2020?

Science fiction has foretold scenarios of broad Third-Worldism across the planet, loss of civil liberties, and self-destruction.

Then there's Star Trek.

What's you realistic guess as to what our economy, state of military engagement, and level of basic freedom will be by the beginning of the third decade of the 21st Century?

All replies will remain confidential, and shall become the sole property of Chrisisall

FANTASTICLAUGHINGFAIRY

Thursday, March 30, 2006 6:39 PM

By 2020? In would assume - unless something pretty drastic happened - things will be similar to how they are now - but probably running low on fossil fuels - what's the betting we (and by we- I mean America - not the UK - we're better) dig up the Arctic/Antarctic? (I can never remember which on it is). Or we'll just have another war and see where that gets us.
There is the issue of where we'll be in 100/200 yrs time though. It may seem a long way away - but what will happen? Will we have destroyed the earth (possibly been plunged into another ice age?) or did we notice what we were doing in time - and go all Greenpeace? Well, you never know. Should be interesting though.

...and we will call it...this land...

CHRISISALL

Thursday, March 30, 2006 6:45 PM

I'm betting it will be just like in Dark Angel (big surprise from me there), with some sort of surveilance (maybe not hoverdrones, but...) and hopefully there'll be an 'Eyes Only' we can count on for the truth...

*Hoping he's very wrong* Dystopic Chrisisall

MATTCOZ

Thursday, March 30, 2006 7:05 PM

Yeah, when I think "rather obscure B-movie" I think Terminator 2.

Star Trek's 21st century future is actually pretty dark, with hundreds of millions of people dying in WW3 and society pretty much falling apart. Things got better only after we made first contact in 2063.

ZISKER

Thursday, March 30, 2006 8:23 PM

If the Corporations win it's in their best interest for us to die slow deaths as soulless drones not in a war-torn world, but one of peace where just enough people get that carrot to keep the rest of us on our spinning-mouse wheels.

But it could just be me.

Fruit's Oaty Bar! Is a person from the mouse! Fruit's Oaty Bar! Makes your bust from yours female shirt! Continuously eats them! Let them cause you to be surprised!

CITIZEN

Thursday, March 30, 2006 9:02 PM

Maybe not 2020 but mid to late 2000’s:

Continued corporate control of Government, an inevitable consequence of successful Capitalism (In fact when the Government becomes a puppet of the corporations I'd say that was Capitalism).

There will be some independent politicians, those not on the corporate pay-roll, but since they will be in the minority and if you dig and have limitless resources you can get damaging dirt on anyone they'll be easy to control.

All news will be corporate sponsored, so if you watch the MegaCorp channel all you'll get is news that shows MegaCorp in a good light and it's competitors in a bad light and vice versa. Not lying, just massaging the facts.

Continued wars against the bogey man.

Civil disobedience will continue to rise, maybe leading to home grown terrorism directed largely at corporations, which will undermine the marginalised anti-corporate position even further in the popular view.

Adolescent violence will be near uncontrollable; gangs of children will mug rape and riot with near impunity, unstopped by a swamped Police force or apathetic parents.

Increased rioting and civil disobedience leads to CCTV networks monitored 24/7 by computer, which flags trouble spots to Human operators. Some places even implement low level gaseous tranquillisers which can disperse all but the most violent and aggressive riots. The most highly evolved form of this uses a weak stimulant at other times to help increase consumer sales.

Europe won’t have cities anymore, Europe will be a city.

People who see blue sky will be the ones that take high altitude jet flights.

Decongestants will be the most widely used medicine and are vital, especially in cities.

More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. But I know none, and therefore am no beast.

ANTHONYT

Thursday, March 30, 2006 9:13 PM

In the year 2020 I see the US as universally disliked, with even our closes allies distancing themselves from us.

In the year 2020 I see the civil liberties of citizens curtailed to such a degree that it is hard to imagine recovering from it. The 'Conservatives' and their 'Patriot Acts' have removed our liberties, and the successor 'Liberals' and their 'Brady Bills' have removed our final ability to resist.

In the year 2020 I see the American government in financial crisis, unable to repay the debt it incurred.

In the year 2020, I see the US returning to isolationism.

--Anthony

"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner

FREDGIBLET

Thursday, March 30, 2006 11:17 PM

pretty much any of William Gibsons books can sum up where we are going.
http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/

THIEFJEHAT

Friday, March 31, 2006 12:03 AM

In 15 years? I doubt lots will change except perhaps a little technology.

Here's an example. In 1997 I and a friend decided to rent Escape from New York, the orginal 1982 film that spawned the Clone film "Escape from LA"

As we watched, the movie claimed that New York had been nearly destroyed by a natural disaster and what was left was being used by the now fascist US government as a penal colony. The Film opens with this tag "NEW YORK 1997" And shows us manhattan. I turn to my friend and say "Dude...this is happening RIGHT NOW!"

We both laugh at the absurdity

The point being, little changes in 15 years. 1982 to 1997.

Do not fear me. Ours is a peaceful race, and we must live in harmony.

ANTHONYT

Friday, March 31, 2006 12:18 AM

THIEFJEHAT,

It's true that 15 years usually doesn't change the world in a fundamental way, but I can't help but feel that recent events have already set big changes in motion, and we simply haven't felt the full effect yet. (Kind of like how nothing was the same after WWII.)

Then again, you might be right. It might be 15 years of struggle and strife on the world stage only to bring us back where we were when we started. I can Grok the irony of that.

--Anthony

"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner

1 2 3 4 5 NEXT PAGE