What will be the end of the world as we know it?

A

alec

White heterosexual male
Orderite
Call me sentimental, but hey: I couldn't sleep last night, because I had seen some documentary on tv about all the problems here on earth. You know: pollution, terrorism, overpopulation, bacteria, lack of food and water in some continents... When you are a born pessimist like me, stuff like that tends to keep you awake. I kept thinking that I might just be 'lucky' enough to witness 'the fall of the Roman Empire part II' in my own lifetime and I imagined all sorts of potential worst case scenarios (a new disease, a comet crashing down on Earth, a nuclear war, famine, ...). I'm quite tired now, but still: I was wondering if any of you guys ever think about this kind of stuff too. Do you think humans will survive this new century? Or do you think we will soon disappear just like those stupid dinosaurs? And how will it all happen? Has the impending apocalyps already started?

Oh boy, the mere thought of it...
 
The videogames will spell doom for us all.
No, mankind will die with the sun, cause space exploration program is too expensive :roll:
 
Stupidity is the mark of humanity.

Notice how we're at a level of civilization and knowledge now that our historians can look back in history and analyse every great empire that's ever been, like the Roman, the Russians, Alexander the Great, the Ottomans...And in this analysis they find the causes why all these great empires fell, how they had to fall in the end.

But does anyone even consider that the same might just possibly eventually happen to us? No! Pure blindness, pure stupidity.

History moves in circle, there's no way the West is going the hold up. There might be a war, but there prolly won't be, even if there is, there's little chance it'll kill ALL of humanity. We'll survive and move on. Who cares? Greater civilisations than the West have fallen. And even if humanity doesn't survive, it's not like it'll bother us, we'd be dead.

I think human beings make too much of a fuss of themselves. I can understand it when you're religious, after all, antropocentrism is inherent in the islam or Christianity, but if you're not religious, there's no reason for you to believe that the extinction of humanity would have any profound effect on the "universal balance".

*shrugs* Anyway, I think the total extinction of humanity is unlikely in the near future. I mean, the current Capitalist West is stampeding to destruction by creating an overly consumptive society, but something will halt it before the end. We seriously need to cull the crops anyway...
 
A Vogon Destructor fleet will destroy our planet to make room for a universal highway. Someone named Arthur will escape with his friend Ford Prefect
 
i don't believe in global killers, so i don't think there will be an event that will wipe out all of humanity and leave nothing but devastated cities and ruined roads. however, a catastrophe on global scale is not only possible, but very likely.

for example, world's most important resource, oil, will be depleted by the end of this century. because powerful oil lobbies are preventing development of cheaper and more reliable power sources, the whole civilization will suddenly come to halt - cars, planes and ships will stop running, hundreds of chemicals derived from oil will be gone... it's impossible to foresee the terrible consequences of this global economical disaster. just because this is the scenario of Fallout doesn't mean it's any less likely - we depend on oil too heavily, and all attempts to develop engines that use alternate fuels (such as the hydrogen drive) were quickly stopped by powerful oil companies.

then there is another scenario, which was derived from the typical conspiracy theories. there is a high likelihood that the world is secretely run by a powerful secret government, also known as the Trilateral Comission. the Trilateral Comission has been established by powerful corporations and drug lobbies. they use OUN, WTO and US government as mere instruments to establish global control. it is believed that Trilateral Comission will eventually attempt to shut down all democratic mechanisms and establish a global totalitarian regime. this will be accomplished by causing global disasters such as floods, terrorist attacks (there are in fact indications that September 11. attacks were carried out by the american Black Ops division), disease epidemics and similar. state of emergency acts will be instated throughout the world and military control over media and goverment institutions will be established. unlikely? in USA there is a law that allows temporary suspension of the Constitution and establishment of martial law in all states for the duration of the crisis. full control of the country would be granted to FEMA and there are no mechanisms that could force them to end the state of emergency and return the power to democratic institutions. there is no telling how the masses or instruments of power (read: police, media, army, intelligence agencies...) might react to forming of a global dictatorship. global anarchy is certain, and who knows what means the power usurpers might use to contain the revolt.
 
Statistically the human race will not live to see the 22nd Century.

Overpopulation, lack of resources (depletion of oil, and other important resources), and human nature will be the end of us all. I say human nature, because it is in our nature to destroy instead of create. Would you rather see a building constructed or demolished? What would the majority of the public rather read about or hear about on the news? Who won the nobel peace prize, or what country the US just sacked. Since the middle ages and before, we've hungered for conquest, domination, and power...back then it was swords and horses...now it's nuclear missiles and Sherman tanks.

We're headed straight for global suicide.

-Malk
 
Ratty said:
then there is another scenario, which was derived from the typical conspiracy theories. there is a high likelihood that the world is secretely run by a powerful secret government, also known as the Trilateral Comission. the Trilateral Comission has been established by powerful corporations and drug lobbies. they use OUN, WTO and US government as mere instruments to establish global control. it is believed that Trilateral Comission will eventually attempt to shut down all democratic mechanisms and establish a global totalitarian regime. this will be accomplished by causing global disasters such as floods, terrorist attacks (there are in fact indications that September 11. attacks were carried out by the american Black Ops division), disease epidemics and similar. state of emergency acts will be instated throughout the world and military control over media and goverment institutions will be established. unlikely? in USA there is a law that allows temporary suspension of the Constitution and establishment of martial law in all states for the duration of the crisis. full control of the country would be granted to FEMA and there are no mechanisms that could force them to end the state of emergency and return the power to democratic institutions. there is no telling how the masses or instruments of power (read: police, media, army, intelligence agencies...) might react to forming of a global dictatorship. global anarchy is certain, and who knows what means the power usurpers might use to contain the revolt.
Click to expand...

Don't be a nut-job. The American law aside (not every country has that law), there is only one truth in any society at all time; might is right. Look at the way the US is trampling over everyone now, it's because they're the strongest.

In the case of such an attempt to seize power human beings would automatically resort to the most basic of mights; violence. America is filled with gun nuts just waiting for someone to try and touch their precious democracy, and other countries have standing armies that would be hard-pressed to put up with such a regime change.
 
Thanks, Dan. Great site. I'm beginning to understand the meaning of the word 'insomnia'...
 
Kharn said:
Ratty said:
then there is another scenario, which was derived from the typical conspiracy theories. there is a high likelihood that the world is secretely run by a powerful secret government, also known as the Trilateral Comission. the Trilateral Comission has been established by powerful corporations and drug lobbies. they use OUN, WTO and US government as mere instruments to establish global control. it is believed that Trilateral Comission will eventually attempt to shut down all democratic mechanisms and establish a global totalitarian regime. this will be accomplished by causing global disasters such as floods, terrorist attacks (there are in fact indications that September 11. attacks were carried out by the american Black Ops division), disease epidemics and similar. state of emergency acts will be instated throughout the world and military control over media and goverment institutions will be established. unlikely? in USA there is a law that allows temporary suspension of the Constitution and establishment of martial law in all states for the duration of the crisis. full control of the country would be granted to FEMA and there are no mechanisms that could force them to end the state of emergency and return the power to democratic institutions. there is no telling how the masses or instruments of power (read: police, media, army, intelligence agencies...) might react to forming of a global dictatorship. global anarchy is certain, and who knows what means the power usurpers might use to contain the revolt.
Click to expand...

Don't be a nut-job. The American law aside (not every country has that law), there is only one truth in any society at all time; might is right. Look at the way the US is trampling over everyone now, it's because they're the strongest.

In the case of such an attempt to seize power human beings would automatically resort to the most basic of mights; violence. America is filled with gun nuts just waiting for someone to try and touch their precious democracy, and other countries have standing armies that would be hard-pressed to put up with such a regime change.
Click to expand...
this isn't just about US. we're talking about a global government. a cabal of corporate businessmen who control like 90% of the world's economy, both legitimate and illegitimate. an organization with enough influence to control US government, the Congress, United Nations, World Trade Organization, NATO and many others. the "attempt" to take control will not be localized to USA only - it will happen everywhere in the world at the same time. where there is a multinational company, a drug chain or a McDonald's restaurant the Trilateral Commission is already in control. it will just take a brief and efficient operation to destabilize the existing governing structures and declare dictatorship, openly and officially. even powerful regimes like Chinese will fall - just look at Shangai and Hong Kong. there you see skyscrapers, you see banks, companies, other words - capitalism! and capitalism is the comission's most powerful weapon...
 
no one knows how long mankind will survive and no one will live long enough to prove themselves right or wrong. I don't think the United States 'Empire' will ever be taking out. The only way it could possibly be defeated is by way of nuclear war and in result the US would take everyone else down with them. Theres no way to beat the US, you can only hope for a draw (i.e. everyone dies).

It might be arogant... but its true.
 
[PCE said:
el_Prez]no one knows how long mankind will survive and no one will live long enough to prove themselves right or wrong. I don't think the United States 'Empire' will ever be taking out. The only way it could possibly be defeated is by way of nuclear war and in result the US would take everyone else down with them. Theres no way to beat the US, you can only hope for a draw (i.e. everyone dies).

It might be arogant... but its true.
Click to expand...

No it isn't. If you look at it historically, the US is starting to show every sign of a waning empire. Half the world empires do NOT end in violence, they just git up and die. That's what will happen to the US, it's inevitable.

I mean, look at it; if all former world powers haven't lasted, why should America, as an individual? If you look at it objectively, all signs point very clearly that history will repeat itself and the US will fade into the background, why in God's name would the US be the only exception in the whole of human history? I mean, you have an economic system that's built to collapse and rise again, did it never occur to you this might also be the death of you in the end, when it DOESN'T rise again?
 
The point is good, but i disagree. i definately hear what your saying - you want me to say that America will fall someday... but i wont. I believe that America is an exception to history. They've been the strongest nation for 200 years and they will continue to be the strongest nation forever.
 
It depends the us is very reliant on oil, so is the rest of the world. I think that the only way the us can keep their power is if they manage to divide the rest of the world. But nothing last forever sooner or later everything falls. It happened with the romans the french, the brittish, the germans, arabia ect ect....
 
[PCE said:
el_Prez]The point is good, but i disagree. i definately hear what your saying - you want me to say that America will fall someday... but i wont. I believe that America is an exception to history. They've been the strongest nation for 200 years and they will continue to be the strongest nation forever.
Click to expand...

Huh, what? America only grabbed supremacy with the fall of the USSR, you know. It definitely hasn't been the strongest forever. Before WW 1 it's presence was hardly noticeable and even less of interest to us Europeans, who still held world domination (the colonies, ever heard of them?). I really don't know where you get "200 years" from, especially considering you had to struggle with the USSR for the better part of a century.

One land holding total supremacy over the world is rare at best, I'll give you that. When Europe was still the power from the Dark Ages 'till WW II it was always divided and world power was jumping from nation to nation, even the Netherlands was once the strongest nation in the world, but it stoppped after...I think it was about half a century, it was during the 80-year war with Spain.

The world moves fast these days. I don't see why America should stay just because they've been there 200 years, I mean, the Romans held it up for a good part of half a millenium. I think the Ottomans were around for more than 200 years as well. I'm not giving America more than one century, I'll prolly witness the Fall of the West myself, which'd be fun.

Anyway, I'm just clap-trapping. There is this well-respected historian that wrote a book on the subject, he analysed at exactly what point the west (i.e. Western Europe and the US (and Canada and Australia)) was in the circle of rise-and-fall and wrote down exactly what the West would have to do if it were to have any hope of lasting. And Bush has been doing exactly the opposite.

You know what kills the most super-powers? Over-stretch. You think you're too powerfull, you start reaching too far, you die.

I can dig up the name of that book if anyone's interested.
 
Has anyone listened to "Faaip De Oiad (Voice of God)" by Tool? It's a very interesting piece of music with a very interesting backstory. The actual music is very random and chaotic, but the key part of the song is it's narration. It is part of a taped conversation from a radio station just outside of Area 51. The program that it was taken from is kind of a conspiracy talk show about Area 51 and extraterrestrials, and is hosted by a man called Art Bell. Here is the transcript of the entire conversation (not just what appears on the song):

"I, I don’t have a whole lot of time. Um, OK, I’m a former employee of Area 51. I, I was let go on a medical discharge about a week ago and, and... [chokes] I’ve kind of been running across the country. Damn, I don’t know where to start, they’re, they’re gonna, um, they’ll triangulate on this position really soon. Ok, um, um, Ok, what we’re thinking of as, as aliens, they’re extradimensional beings, that, an earlier precursor of the, um, space program they made contact with. They are not what they claim to be. Uh, they’ve infiltrated a, a lot of aspects of, of the military establishment, particularly the Area 51. The disasters that are coming, they, the military, I’m sorry, the government knows about them. And there’s a lot of safe areas in this world that they could begin moving the population to now. They are not! They want those major population centers wiped out so that the few that are left will be more easily controllable."

At that point, for about 30 minutes, the entire transmitting system went down. The network’s communication satellite, GE-1, lost 50 channels (including Art’s broadcast) possibly due to some EMP generator. The loss of communication (uplink transmitter) was believed to be caused when the "earth sensor lost lock", meaning that it no longer pointed to the earth station. Unaware that he had been knocked off the air, Art continued to speak with the terrified whistle-blower over the phone for about a minute until, as he later told the audience, he heard a scream and the phone was disconnected. After some dead air, engineers at the network put in an old tape of Art interviewing Mark Furman (of O.J. fame). Finally, by using a 56k digital phone line, Art came back on the air live (although at this point, even his analog "hotline" went out, thereby cutting off any communication with network engineers). After the satellite outage, one of the first callers to the show was a person who claimed to be part of the Area 51 security force. He explained to Art that the network had been "pulsed" and that Art "would not hear from the [triangulated] caller again." According to this person, those with Area 51 security were "professional cleaners" who "dig lots of holes in the desert" and "use a lot of acid."

That conversation took place on September 11, 1996.

I don't know, I always thought the whole 9/11 connection was sort of interesting. "The disasters that are coming, they, the military, I’m sorry, the government knows about them. ... They want those major population centers wiped out so that the few that are left will be more easily controllable." Eh? Eh?

Interesting, huh? Anyway...to give credit where credit is due I got the transcript and other information from the TOOL website: www.toolband.com

Thoughts?

-Malky
 
[PCE said:
el_Prez]The point is good, but i disagree. i definately hear what your saying - you want me to say that America will fall someday... but i wont. I believe that America is an exception to history. They've been the strongest nation for 200 years and they will continue to be the strongest nation forever.
Click to expand...
ROTFL, you are way of there. first of all, as Kharn pointed out, the supremacy of USA over the rest of the world didn't start 200 years ago - it started 12 years ago, after the fall of USSR and end of Cold War. second of all, there were hundreds of emperors, historicians and other people in the world's history who, at some point, said: "I believe that XXX is an exception to history. We've been the strongest nation for YYY years and we will continue to be the strongest forever." many of these empires endured for hundreds of years, far longer than USA even existed, and they ALL ended eventually. the fall of USA doesn't necessarily mean it's complete annihilation. the US will more likely start sinking when it becomes impossible to maintain its power. again, Kharn stated the main reason for the fall of every empire - overstretching. even now there are US troops in Iraq, US troops in Afghanistan, soon there might be US troops in North Korea, Siria or even Iran. supporting so many troops could prove too much for the US economy in recession and eventually US army might start losing battles and no longer be the world's most powerful military force. not to mention another factor - China. China is currently the fastest developing country in the world. its greatest problem - overpopulation - could turn out to be its greatest potential. with introduction of free market economy came also fast economic expansion, further accelerated by the fact that workers in China are very cheap. when conditions for fast economic development exist, it will inevitably occur, and economy will grow proportionally to the size of the country's population. this means that in a few decades chinese economy will be HUGE - far greater and far more powerful than US or European economy.

although this is somewhat hard to believe today, it is a simply an undeniably fact. in the near future, West will lose its supremacy - East will rise and China will, for the first time in history, become world's leading superpower, while the now almighty United States will be relatively minorized and its role in the world will be no more significant than that of today's France or Germany.
 
Ratty said:
China is currently the fastest developing country in the world.
Click to expand...

From what I understood, China has had 10% economic growth each year dring the last 10 years, which is unprecedented...

Also, Ratty, there's no reason to isolate the USA. As I said, the current "Empire" is "Western", which stretches from the US to Europe and includes Canada and (to some point) Australia, Japan and South-Korea, though those would survive the fall. If the USA goes, all of Western Europe will go as well, and with the EU stretching over to Eastern Europe, I wouldn't be surprised if Eastern Europe gets torn down as well (assuming, of course, that Eastern Europe will recover in the upcoming half century, but that's not unlikely).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top