The Coming Hell: Economic Inequality, Resource Depletion, and Climate Change

[muhammad_isa]

Mostly the same.

I guess you must live a long way from all "the action" ..

 

[Revoltingest]

I guess you must live a long way from all "the action" ..

To be away from what one observes has its advantages.
Although I don't know if that's the case. Time also allows
one to see that much change isn't really change at all.

 

[Kfox]

I suspect growing economic inequality, resource depletion, and climate change are most likely to create a rather hellish world. A world that seems likely to be sharply divided between the rich and poor, between the powerful and the weak; and in which anything resembling democracy or representational government is no more than a memory. Of course, anything could happen, but I'd give odds the world is going to become more authoritarian, more stratified, not less.

But what do you think? What do you think the political and social future will most likely look like?

I don't think economic inequality is not a bad thing; at least as practiced in the US; don't know about other countries. I also think due to modern technology and the information age, the rich are not always the powerful, and the poor are not always weak. So I don't see the bleak future that you see.

 

[King Phenomenon]

I suspect growing economic inequality, resource depletion, and climate change are most likely to create a rather hellish world. A world that seems likely to be sharply divided between the rich and poor, between the powerful and the weak; and in which anything resembling democracy or representational government is no more than a memory. Of course, anything could happen, but I'd give odds the world is going to become more authoritarian, more stratified, not less.

But what do you think? What do you think the political and social future will most likely look like?

God has other plans thankfully.

 

[Heyo]

I suspect growing economic inequality, resource depletion, and climate change are most likely to create a rather hellish world. A world that seems likely to be sharply divided between the rich and poor, between the powerful and the weak; and in which anything resembling democracy or representational government is no more than a memory. Of course, anything could happen, but I'd give odds the world is going to become more authoritarian, more stratified, not less.

But what do you think? What do you think the political and social future will most likely look like?

Economic inequality, resource depletion, and climate change are most likely to end our current system. Capitalism relies on economic growth and without resources and with the losses climate change will inevitably bring, growth is no longer possible, i.e. capitalism comes to its natural end, most likely while accelerating all the factors in a last ditch effort to keep it running as long as possible.

 

[JIMMY12345]

I suspect growing economic inequality, resource depletion, and climate change are most likely to create a rather hellish world. A world that seems likely to be sharply divided between the rich and poor, between the powerful and the weak; and in which anything resembling democracy or representational government is no more than a memory. Of course, anything could happen, but I'd give odds the world is going to become more authoritarian, more stratified, not less.

But what do you think? What do you think the political and social future will most likely look like?

It may be a reason why people are having less or no children. This is not a bad thing if world wide the children have a good living -3 square meals a day and health care /education.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

As noted, climate change will likely affect the poor more, both when comparing first- and third world nations and within a nation among economic classes. When I was growing up, if one was content with a middle-class existence, he didn't need to be wealthier than average to own a home in a safe neighborhood and to meet basic needs, but it looks like that will be changing. It may come to the point that one needs to be relatively wealthy to live in a region with a temperate climate and without scarcity or privation even in what are presently called first-world countries.

As an aside, I read some speculation that the paralysis to mitigate climate change might not be entirely due to greed and short-sightedness, but might actually be intended. If so, cui bono? Who might want that to happen and benefit from it?

The argument is that because it will devastate developing nations the most, some of which are threatening to become dominant in the world economy (India, Mexico, Brazil), that allowing this to happen would benefit existing dominant economies in keeping competition weak.

And the wealthy movers and shakers who would be orchestrating this hypothetical global genocide would be relatively immune to all of that, since they can always relocate if their homes are ever threatened by a rising sea level or extreme weather, and always buy what they need and want however scarce.

I don't know that it matters if this is the case or not - the planet seems to be headed to catastrophe either way - but I thought it was an interesting speculation.

 

[King Phenomenon]

I suspect growing economic inequality, resource depletion, and climate change are most likely to create a rather hellish world. A world that seems likely to be sharply divided between the rich and poor, between the powerful and the weak; and in which anything resembling democracy or representational government is no more than a memory. Of course, anything could happen, but I'd give odds the world is going to become more authoritarian, more stratified, not less.

But what do you think? What do you think the political and social future will most likely look like?

Lord has other plans imo. No one will see the hell you speak of

 

[fantome profane]

divided between the rich and poor, between the powerful and the weak;

... the air conditioned and not.

 

[Nakosis]

I suspect growing economic inequality, resource depletion, and climate change are most likely to create a rather hellish world. A world that seems likely to be sharply divided between the rich and poor, between the powerful and the weak; and in which anything resembling democracy or representational government is no more than a memory. Of course, anything could happen, but I'd give odds the world is going to become more authoritarian, more stratified, not less.

But what do you think? What do you think the political and social future will most likely look like?

I'm banking on science and technology to keep us sinking into any catastrophic doomsday. Never utopia but with minor increases in the quality of life along the way. I doubt that politics will break out of its cycle between seeking the security of authoritarianism and the freedom of liberalism.

In short we'll ride a gradual wave of progress always on the brink of disaster but never quite falling in.

 

[Bthoth]

I suspect growing economic inequality, resource depletion, and climate change are most likely to create a rather hellish world. A world that seems likely to be sharply divided between the rich and poor, between the powerful and the weak;

Isn't that today?

and in which anything resembling democracy or representational government is no more than a memory.

Not for quite some time

Of course, anything could happen, but I'd give odds the world is going to become more authoritarian, more stratified, not less.

Any time frame before taking that bet?

But what do you think? What do you think the political and social future will most likely look like?

Not sure but If trump gets elected in 2024, I do expect

 

[McBell]

Your bleak future doesn't sound different from the present.

What ^^^he^^^ said...

 

[Balthazzar]

Economic inequality, resource depletion, and climate change are most likely to end our current system. Capitalism relies on economic growth and without resources and with the losses climate change will inevitably bring, growth is no longer possible, i.e. capitalism comes to its natural end, most likely while accelerating all the factors in a last ditch effort to keep it running as long as possible.

Industrialization of our resources adds to our resource depletion, but the industrial world isn't the only capitalistic type of entity. What we may end up seeing is a smaller scale, more localized economic system resulting from resource depletion and ongoing needs. Climate change may play a role in these pursuits and efforts. It would likely open a window for a more diverse buffet of consumer goods that will be more apt to appeal to specific demographics, uniquely. This may also play a role in bridging the divide between economic classes, given individual ingenuity and talent is pursued over other types of job or career choices. Self-employment rates would rise if this were to take place.

The Renaissance revisited - 21st century style.