Can you debate my opinion as to the fate of the human race?

Question

What’s your opinion as to these points?

Unfortunately, the human race is predisposed to failure. Here are just three of the reasons why.

1) The human race is predisposed to procrastination which means that we will never try to fix something until it's "in our face". Even then, it has to be "absolutely" proven that it is recognizably affecting our "quality of life" before we will act. For example, take the environmental situation. We still have people (generally for economic reasons) fighting the preponderance of scientific data that indicates we better do something to fix the environment. They seem to think that if they are justified in doing nothing as long as they can find "any little piece of data" which "may" indicate that global warming isn't occurring. Let me ask you this; is it better to act and later discover that the situation was not as "dire" as we suspected or to do nothing and later discover that it's too late to fix???

2) We are naturally territorial (yes, like many other creatures). The problem is that the "sticks & stones" (which were replaced by fire, spears, arrows, gunpowder, etc.) we used to kill the challengers to "our territory" in the beginning have evolved into biological and nuclear weapons with the capability to poison the planet. By the way, how does territory get "claimed" anyway? I mean, at some point in the past nobody "owned" any property but now we all think we have the right to "own" that which was never "BOUGHT". BTW, yes, I "own" land and a house but I still stand by my point that neither the former owner nor I actually ever have had or currently have the rights to buy and sell it.

3) We have worldwide leadership that for the most part is either ignorant or indifferent to the truth (or, in the case of the U.S., BOTH). Without leadership, we will never make any headway and, regrettably, I believe that there are too many governments that are more concerned with either staying ahead of or catching up to, everyone else and are willing to accept the consequences of future problems in order reap the "rewards" of today.

Maybe, if we get lucky, we’ll get a “mini” version of the movie “The day after tomorrow” that will force the world into action. Unfortunately, according to the director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, James Hansen (as well as many other scientists), we have 10 or less yrs to turn it around and I don’t think we will. That’s why my wife and I have decided not to bring another life into a world that has more of a negative outlook now than it ever has. Enjoy life and live for the now because too many governments, and many corporations, are steadfast in their path to destroying the future.

Answer 1

It all depends upon your definition of "failure".

If you mean "failure to survive as a species" then I suppose this is inevitable. Nothing lasts forever in its current form, so whether we continue as Homo Sapiens for 10 years or 10,000,000 years is moot in that respect. All living things die, as do most species throughout history. Humans are simply another tiny branch on the tree of evolution.

However, if you mean "failure to achieve our potential as a species" then I disagree. One advantage of being intelligent, self-aware AND the currently dominant species is the ability for a single individual to positively alter the course of humanity through creativity, persuasion or compassion. Consider the momentus impacts on history made by Ghandi, Newton, Da Vinci, Jesus and Shakespere. These and countless others share one trait: they IMPROVED the human race through their achievements as individuals.

Regardless of whether our species survives long enough to evolve, these humans have shown that we can indeed accomplish great things.

Answer 2

(1) Procrastination means you don't waste resources, time, worry, etc on possibilities, but only spend them on the immediate problem that actually exists. We could spend too much of ourselves fixing things that later turned out not to be broken.
A messed up climate may turn out to be less of a threat than a messed up economy, and if the country becomes too weak to prevent nuclear exchange, the climate won't matter at all. The climate may well have to fluctuate to keep the world healthy. The warming may be preferable to an ice age. Our contamination may only coincidentally be happening at the same time as some other factor. There may not be one right way to clean it up. Cleaning it up by any particular plan may actually make it worse. These are the reasons we need to not be too disturbed by those who move slowly. Look at all the changes in weight loss diet philosophy in the last 60 years, and see that even when we think we know what we are doing, we are more likely to suffer from hubris than from failure to try.
One delightful example of the value of procrastination: While I was pregnant, I did not get around to taking thalidomide.

(2) Work to turn the whole world into a single community. We have the means, for the first time since we started recording history, to do this now, and in the near future. When we are
One World::One People
then territoriality will mean we all work together to make our little rock a better place.

We don't really buy land, even in the U.S. A deed means only that the community (as represented by the government) has granted you the use of the land. They can take it back at any time by right of eminent domain.

When every citizen of the planet understands this, then the healing of Gaea can begin.

(3) Bring your child into the world, bring them up responsibly, dilute the idiots' spawn with your own contribution, and maybe yours will be the world leader who is not ignorant and not indifferent. Your child may be the one to reverse the global warming damage, to stop a war, to balance the budget, or to calm the tensions between warring factions. It would be selfish for someone so thoughtful and responsible to fail to leave their legacy for the following generations.

Answer 3

You've made many interesting points and observations, although I agree with most, but not everything. 1) I don't see the problem as being procrastination. I believe the problem is greed. In a sense, it is procrastination because when the environment fails to maintain balance, we will pay for it. Nevertheless, the driving force is greed, the bottom line mentality. Unfortunately, the environment has become a hot potato political issue. The US declined to sign the Kayato (I think it's spelled that way) agreement, being the only industrialized nation not to sign the world environmental initiative. Not because of laziness, but because of greed. Big industries would have had to pay lots of money to refit industrial plants. 2)Yes, I agree. We are naturally territorial. We behave aggressively when see a chance to acquire terrority and goods, and we defend mercilessly our own territory. On the point of owning land, of course, we don't physically owe it, we own it because the laws that govern us, say we owe it. It's part of society's rules and regulations on proper behavior. 3)Without a doubt, this world has leadership problems. The government tends to think more about today than the future. In the long run such thinking is going to cause chaos. Yet, the human species is tenacious. Our strengths are our flexibility and the willingness to adapt to new situations.

Answer 4

To the first point, you said that we fix a trouble when we have it in front of us, well, many people have more than one and still they don't fix it. Many of us have to think of that point and get to recognize that nature in our hands doesn't have a future.
For the territorial matter, we own what we need (and some times even if we don't need it) but there is still very much space in the earth to habitate in, and of course without harming the nature's balance.

And for the third point you cannot generalize the way of life of all the world, some people still concern about that matters but don't have the possibilities to do has they would like, so they can do the minimal part of their true desire.
Remember: Bad things never last forever.

Answer 5

Yes I could. I won't bother. the human race as all life any where is only there for a period of time. they all falter,grow old and die out. every species of plant animal and planet, solar system, comes to an end in time. on this earth, some hundred million years from now another life form may be dominate. perhaps vegetation may be the most prolific dominating life form or maybe a new form of insect. the possibilities are endless. if you look at all elements of the universe as having a life form you can propose or assume that time is the changing feature. all people,animals, vegetation, civilizations, worlds and the universe are born, grow old and die and perhaps are reborn in some form that we can only imagine. the human race has no control on the outcome. we are only here for a short time so enjoy it. the universe will take care of itself.

Answer 6

The only solution is plague or nuclear war we need to eliminate 50% of the world population to survive

Answer 7

First things first: Humans aren't a race!!!

Answer 8

I propose we get rid of you first, for being so long winded/fingered.

Answer 9

I can, but I choose not to.

Answer 10

WORD!!!