Last time I discussed perils of current economics system and why in my view a fundamental change is required within fifty years.
So here are my further thoughts on the subject…
Influences
I do watch Sci fi movies and read futuristic books. My current influences are Michio Kaku’s books including Physics of the Future, The Future of the Mind and movies about futuristic world (not the Avengers that is fantasy…but I do watch them as well). Recent movie interest was Lucy which brings to life possibility about how much brain power we could use in the future. Central hypotheses of these books and movie is that humans will be able to use more of the brain power within 60 to 70 years and human race will have mental powers currently appear unrealistic, such as self healing, and controlling the matter particles around us.
what it means for the economic system
Governance
Humans would have evolved from the current system of governance which essentially means a single world governance authority. Nothing like the present inept and inefficient government structure we have. Communities will a have major say in their well being and governance will only be limited to essential issues of global standards of living, human rights, environment and currency.
Monetary and economic system
There will be a Single global currency, however this would be very different from the current system of interest rates, deficit financing and currency backed up by global government. In my view at that time due to high awareness state of humankind most of current economic system would be irrelevant. Each human colony would be self sufficient in most of day to day requirements. However there would be need to exchange knowledge and materials or human effort. Since such effort needs to be measured in some form of unit, a global monetary value instrument would be required and that will be defined by the global government.
In a way the above would be more like the barter trade of the old when one community or person’s effort would be compared to work or knowledge of another human being in a different trade and then exchanged most systematically by valuing such effort into a global coinage.
This means perhaps growing crops for human sustenance could be considered more valuable than analysis power. BY 2200 I can see end of banking system, stock market, legal profession, accountancy, foreign services and a host of currently highly lucrative professions and industries since society would not see any value in those while new professions such as data banks, knowledge exchanges, life sciences and genome processing, interplanetary voyages perhaps more prevalent.
Similarly lots of commodities may not be sellable, fossil fuels losing it value due to global use of natural forces to power up most of highly efficient organic systems and our energy consumption would be lower than ever.
Bring on the critics…
I can almost see all of you disagreeing with my analysis. I perhaps will not live the day when this may or may not become true. However the roots of human advancement are already here. We are living in the future with our global inter connectivity and free flow of information. Genome project was a resounding success and now entered in our everyday life and it will not take long before results of Brain Project will also be part of daily routine within few decades.
Are our children ready..
The question is whether we recognise such seismic shift and reduce focus from our trading terminals and unending quest for making more and more money. Whether we are providing the right guidance to our next generation so that they are ready for such change in the way of living or earning a living. Are we nurturing the right generation who could deal with challenges of the new future dawning soon….
Reblogged this on Perspectives on Life, the Universe and Everything and commented:
Here is slightly new thing…very different from poetry and photography, all likeminded are invited for a conversation there…no compulsion
I feel techological narratives overlook the atomization and the alienation at the heart of our current situation. Something that a people-centric cultural/historical discourse can hopefully remedy. George Monbiot’s recent Guardian review of ‘Interstellar’ does a fine job of explaining (partially) what I am trying to get at: http://gu.com/p/438f9/stw.
Many thanks. Our emotional side is not ignored I believe as we get more intelligent and can use our brain to do amazing things our humanity will increase, value of life will be enhance globally and quite a few ills of the society including exploitation will reduce or eliminate. Once you take money out of the equation then drugs, weapons, human trafficking, poverty, hunger solve themselves to a large extent and remnants would be eliminated by super intelligent beings. Power is still an issue and I am not sure that we can remove that with intelligence alone
True, power remains the eternal spoiler 🙂
I am sure we will find answer to that as well at some point!
UNlike-minded, but I do think it’s an interesting perspective on the prospect of economic disintegration and/or shift – that is from a monetary type of economy back to a long-gone, barbaric yet now looking more like a sophisticated form of natural/data economy. Nonetheless, a vision of an “other-aware” governance is definitely something to look forward to. 🙂
thank you ember for that wonderful piece of analysis, of course no one can say right now what would happen exactly, and I have put my view forward, ultimately which is just a humble view, nothing more, nothing less
A very bold viewpoint, if I may say. 🙂 True, no one knows. I’ve watched the movie though. Imagine the possibilities! 🙂
Well movie after a certain point becomes science fiction and here I am not talking about 100% usage of brain power but merely moving up to 20 to 30 percent in next 100 years. Humanity has been bold which broke the past barriers so I am pretty much in the place where I think most of people will consider my idea as ludicrous
Some of the greatest feats come from such ideas, AB. 🙂
Indeed, deep down I really wish this happens and human race attains its real potential
Taking money out of the equation is going to be very very hard. A global currency is very hard. Even back to the Roman Empire where they practically ruled the whole world they had to fight other factions, like the Vikings. With their own way of life, and I´m not sure about their currency but certainly either they didn´t have it or traded in their own way.
As history has taught us, money is the driving force of most people if not all, and countries are made of people. Plus people in different regions, cultures, religions, have been and will always be in disagreement. So I can´t see realistically any global currency happening. Nice utopia though, but by 2200 I´m long gone, go figure if I make through 2015, and also go figure if by then there has been some kind of climate thing that destroys the earth. About our intelligence being enhanced and humans doing incredible things, it can also cut the other way, the way of humans using that enhance intelligence to make things happen in what they think is right, and then others who disagree will have to counteract, thereby we can see new type of societies forming. So there is the basic line, that is of the human nature. This is actually great for a novel or movie, but realistically I just don´t see it happen.
Although you did make me think AB, and I resent you for that……..
It´s always good to have a dialogue, plus this post you hanged up today was quite interesting in order to have a debate or dialogue, discussion, however you want to call it.
Charly, thank you for such wonderful analysis. I can see you clearly in pessimists camp and as you must have realised that in poetry I have shown frustration with humanity’s value degradation. This however is a view of a super optimist which is the other side of me, which says what if we are able to come through this rut, what happens next, the world will not be perfect but in that vision world would be much better than today
Yes, I have noticed through your poetry. That´s why I like reading you. I agree with you that is the pessimists camp yet again it can also be called a realist camp which translates into pessimist. And like it or not as you well know we do have to operate in the real world. But I like the thought of the post, I hope it could be that way as hard as I think it is, but sure hope it will be that way.
It was a good discussion AB.
Indeed it is an excellent conversation and I am happy that so many people are contributing to this, thank you so much Charly for your wonderful thoughts. Let us hope that even if 50 percent of what I imagine could happen would happens then world would be such a wonderful place for future generations to live
Wonderful thoughts here AB.. and I concur with your thoughts, The ‘Shift’ in currant economic systems has to happen.. We can not sustain present levels of this charade of Monetary rule ..
I have long thought along similar lines where by communities will take a greater share in their governing.. Projects of sustainability, And Co-operation, instead of Competition will happen..
I think it is not a case of IF the monetary system will collapse as to WHEN.. for it is my belief this system is falsely being propped up at the moment..
Should we see a collapse.. Yes Chaos will ensue for a time.. But we will have to learn new skills in Bartering And learning to share commodities required…
I try to nurture my 3 soon to be 4yr old Granddaughter who is so bright and picks up things so quickly.. She will be the generation who will have to pick up all the pieces we broke and try to fix the world.. Learning her to appreciate Nature and Growing Food, She is also a wizz on her tablet.. and the next shift in techno science I feel will be even more phenomenal..
Great thoughts AB.. Thank you for sharing ..
Sue
Thank you so much Sue for sharing such wonderful thoughts and I am sure you must be a very proud grandmother. Your granddaughter will learn immensely from you. Most of my quest for knowledge is due to my granddad and his stories which were full of fascinating beings and of courage and fortitude to overcome the most difficult obstacles to achieve higher purpose in life.
Kindest regards
AB
Pleased you reshared.. I left you a comment upon the original 🙂
I have since audience is much larger on my main blog
Hey AB, I enjoyed your post. We definitely need to make some kind of shift if we are to survive. May I refer you to a site? Check it out and see what you think.
http://www.thevenusproject.com/
Many many thanks JC, I had a look, fascinating concept and great to see they are going for it, I probably won’t agree with all the concepts they are looking at but then I always try to pick the best bits
I think even in ancient times, gold was a standard of trading value – it still is, or our dollar (U.S.) was supposed to be based upon the value of gold…. that’s a whole other subject and I’m not going there right now.
Something is bound to change, societies cannot continue on the collision course we are on. However, hasn’t the past been a teacher that prior to any major changes in societies, there have been global catastrophes, like the plague, the flood… wars?
A big change – disaster – will precede any renewal of direction. Just my humble thoughts.
your thoughts are amazing and very much too the point, I agree disaster is one way to change direction, I hope it does not come to that and it is rather evolutionary thought and progression in society and values which make it happen.
I hope so Ab, I really hope so!
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My fears for humanity’s progress are well known, however I believe very intelligent and hard working sections of our societies are working for this cause and even after the headwinds of the nasty issues highlighted by you (all true) there is hope that progress albeit slow would get us there. If we did not have those issues then we don’t need another hundred years to get there. Imagine if suddenly the whole humanity realises that the best thing to do in the world is to end poverty, we certainly have enough resources go find, fund and construct living place for every human being in the planet and provide sustenance, poverty can evaporate immediatel! Alas we are not there and it will not happen soon, but it will in few decades or a century.
Oh, I sorely hope that you are correct.
Me too..