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Ask HN: Are you optimisic or pessimistic about the future?

3 points by HiroshiSan ↗ HN
I am leaning towards pessimistic because I think it’s going to take the entire world as a collective to solve the worlds problems (hunger, climate change, etc...), and I don’t think we’re close to having that happen. Though I will say having powerful individuals with a huge sum of money having their lifes mission to solving this problems wiggles the needle a little towards optimistic.

Technologically I can’t see how the world won’t be a distopian future a-la Altered Carbon with technology being used to reduce privacy and credibility.

It just seems like there will always be this cycle of opression, and those with incredibly strong values fighting for our freedom. Ebb and Flow of the human race I suppose.

8 comments

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throwaway7645
Optimistic. On the whole, things are getting better globally despite what the media proclaims. My concern for the future is the continued automation of jobs that sometimes unemploys thousands of people without a valid skill set to fall back on. Despite being raised conservative and having some libertarian views, I've found it increasingly more difficult to not think more seriously about UBI (universal basic income). We're not there yet, but I believe in the next century we'll get to a point where most people won't need to work. As a society, we need to start thinking how this should work. How to keep the population educated and motivated to continue human progress. How does one contribute in these circumstances? What basics should be provided by the state? Should population control measures be introduced?
eaandkw2
Until I start seeing people from Washington, Big Corporations, and Hollywood actually go to jail when they clearly are breaking a law I have little confidence that things will get better.
CyberFonic
"The system" has been tweaked over decades to suit the 1% to the detriment of the 99%.

The only way that will change is people stop going to the movies and further enriching Hollywood, when people buy local instead of buying from the Big chains, etc. You can't beat the 1% when playing by their rules.

eaandkw2
To be honest I don't know how you would unwind the system. For instance the Hollywood industry employees a ton of people and likely pays a lot of taxes to the California government. If everyone stopped going to movies and basically boycotting the celebrities that would have a lot of second and third order effects. Same with the banking industry and the government/ military industry complex.

It is kind of like the concept of minimalism. It would only work if a small minority of people adopted it. If everyone adopted it the economy would collapse.

CyberFonic
If you look at the history of the past 2000 years, things are pretty good. There always will be droughts, floods, dystopian political situations. Granted that there are many global problems and some are very difficult to solve. However, each person's future is a result of making their circumstances the best that can be, then focus on their immediate family / friends and work outwards. You don't solve global problems if you can't even get your home-front sorted.

In the greater scheme of things, money is not the issue. Being optimistic and making a difference on your own patch through smart and focused effort is the start. If every person takes that approach then many large scale problems become a lot smaller.

HiroshiSan
I agree with this sentiment. It seems to me that solving local problems is the way to solving global problems. Solve enough local problems and you’ve just solved a global problem.
vfulco
I am pessimistic. Too many governments are not serving the people but only fighting hard to exist so those at the top can steal more from the people. Leaders, their friends and extended family members don't get to be billionaires doing the peoples' work. You know who you are, East and West.

Add in the electronic surveillance and reduction of free speech, movement, assembly and self-determination and we have completely lost the greatest ideals and growth drivers of civilization. The sheeple are being turned into the batteries depicted in the Matrix movie, nothing more. In this case, to serve the financial "masters" who hold debt for houses, cars, education, etc. over our heads and otherwise let government perpetuate their crimes in the shadows.

HiroshiSan
This is one big reason I feel pessimistic, considering I’m not very good at programming and I don’t understand a lot of underlying technologies at a fundamental level, I feel as if I truly don’t have control over the devices I use, and how I want to use them.