End times

[sledheavy]

Discussing the topic 'stupid doors' made me realize I'm always thinking I should be well prepared, because I feel like no one really taught me anything important.

It makes me feel if we are submissive of important things to know or learn, it puts us in the near usless catagory if something bad were to happen.

So in light of this, I want to know a couple of things:

Feel free to be broad. We don't nec. have to talk about natural causes or nuclear disasters.

1.) Without any idea of where, when or how; why might society fall apart at a catastrophic event. (feel free to use current events)

2.) What we could be doing, or are not doing now to handle a catastrophy.

3.) Are we to assume the common idea as proposed in 'children of men', that if society is sanctioned by borders, and that people are held collective, that independant nations, factions, or religions might be created?

4.) At this point, would your survival surpass your morals? And to what degree?

[Goat]

Discussing the topic 'stupid doors' made me realize I'm always thinking I should be well prepared, because I feel like no one really taught me anything important.

It makes me feel if we are submissive of important things to know or learn, it puts us in the near usless catagory if something bad were to happen.

So in light of this, I want to know a couple of things:

Feel free to be broad. We don't nec. have to talk about natural causes or nuclear disasters.

1.) Without any idea of where, when or how; why might society fall apart at a catastrophic event. (feel free to use current events)

Famine. The inability to feed the population. This could because of weather, volcano, social upset, or poor planning.

2.) What we could be doing, or are not doing now to handle a catastrophy.

Controling population, and also taking good care of the environment would be
a reasonable start.

3.) Are we to assume the common idea as proposed in 'children of men', that if society is sanctioned by borders, and that people are held collective, that independant nations, factions, or religions might be created?

Not sure what you are saying here.

4.) At this point, would your survival surpass your morals? And to what degree?

I don't know. I hope I never have to find out.

[sledheavy]

sorry if my third question is confusing.

I'm basically asking to consider the idea of an independent nation, religion or faction forming as a result a social disaster. Here we have areas where illegal aliens, terrorists, and political radicals are forced to live in a military controlled enviorment.

The government theoretically doesn't want to get near these areas, even if they're militarily controlled.

'Ghost in the shell SAC 2' would be another example, where all the former citizens of a disbanned nation were put on a man-made island and discriminated against. The same situation happened, except here some radicals attempted to buy and (spoiler) bluff nuclear weaponry to claim itself as an independent state.

Look at Iraq for example.

Iran is currently fighting for nuclear power, or putting up a fit about it, and all the while were trying to resolve the situation in Iraq. And ironically, it's starting to sound more and more ironic in relation to what I discribed above. Of course, the hypothetical situations are more detremental.

Does controlling the population, or famine really relate to the major problems we're facing now? I mean I could very well be oblivious to it, fact is, either way I don't want to be eating soilent green anytime soon.

this should have been posted in politics.

[achilles12604]

this should have been posted in politics.

Moved.

[ST88]

The American TV show "Jericho", though poorly written, is currently raising these issues. Another TV show, "Dark Angel" dealt with a post-modern type of apocalypse.

1.) Without any idea of where, when or how; why might society fall apart at a catastrophic event. (feel free to use current events)
Society falls apart when the rules we all agreed upon, and which may or may not be arbitrary, are suddenly made irrelevant or unusually unfair. Such as: what might happen if all of the bank records of everyone in the U.S. were suddenly wiped clean? This stuff is currently stored on magnetic and optical media. What if a magnetic storm of some kind settled over North America, or what if malicious individuals served to de-magnetize all data pertaining to currency (backup data included) and perhaps also caused all optical media to rot (optical media, like that on CDs, is stored using degradable inks which is subject to rot under certain conditions or just with age). In the event that no one can prove how much money they have (the "rules"), society would break down. That we are reliant on a technology that is subject to astrophysical breakdown is a telling piece of evidence about our short-sightedness in favor of personal comfort.

"Unusually unfair" doesn't mean that the Supreme Court suddenly decides that abortion is once again against the law. Though fatuous, that would not cause a breakdown of society. The breakdown would occur if the Supreme Court suddenly decided that everyone under a certain income limit should be made into food for everyone over that limit. Or how about the Fascist party fixes an election and takes over the government.

2.) What we could be doing, or are not doing now to handle a catastrophy.
We should be educating our children in how to handle change, not in how to fit into the system. I am appalled that most media aimed at children is filled with messages about how to find one's place in the universe, as if there were a slot that any given person should be able to fit into. We should be teaching critical thinking skills, problem solving, philosophy of learning type stuff instead of materialism-minded, preparation for society type stuff. If society breaks down due to an unforseen catastrophe, this education would be worthless.

3.) Are we to assume the common idea as proposed in 'children of men', that if society is sanctioned by borders, and that people are held collective, that independant nations, factions, or religions might be created?
...
I'm basically asking to consider the idea of an independent nation, religion or faction forming as a result a social disaster.
Like Lord of the Flies? Or the short story "404" (or "The Southern Throughway") by Julio Cortazar. Or even Heart of Darkness, in a way.

4.) At this point, would your survival surpass your morals? And to what degree?
In some sense, morals are a luxury. But we have to ask ourselves in that situation what is more important, what will most allow survival. It is possible that doing something abhorrent "to survive" would decrease our humanity to such a degree that survival no longer matters to us. Who knows? There is no way to know what someone will do in an extreme situation without being in that situation.

[sledheavy]

The American TV show "Jericho", though poorly written, is currently raising these issues. Another TV show, "Dark Angel" dealt with a post-modern type of apocalypse.

1.) Without any idea of where, when or how; why might society fall apart at a catastrophic event. (feel free to use current events)
Society falls apart when the rules we all agreed upon, and which may or may not be arbitrary, are suddenly made irrelevant or unusually unfair. Such as: what might happen if all of the bank records of everyone in the U.S. were suddenly wiped clean? This stuff is currently stored on magnetic and optical media. What if a magnetic storm of some kind settled over North America, or what if malicious individuals served to de-magnetize all data pertaining to currency (backup data included) and perhaps also caused all optical media to rot (optical media, like that on CDs, is stored using degradable inks which is subject to rot under certain conditions or just with age). In the event that no one can prove how much money they have (the "rules"), society would break down. That we are reliant on a technology that is subject to astrophysical breakdown is a telling piece of evidence about our short-sightedness in favor of personal comfort.

"Unusually unfair" doesn't mean that the Supreme Court suddenly decides that abortion is once again against the law. Though fatuous, that would not cause a breakdown of society. The breakdown would occur if the Supreme Court suddenly decided that everyone under a certain income limit should be made into food for everyone over that limit. Or how about the Fascist party fixes an election and takes over the government.

2.) What we could be doing, or are not doing now to handle a catastrophy.
We should be educating our children in how to handle change, not in how to fit into the system. I am appalled that most media aimed at children is filled with messages about how to find one's place in the universe, as if there were a slot that any given person should be able to fit into. We should be teaching critical thinking skills, problem solving, philosophy of learning type stuff instead of materialism-minded, preparation for society type stuff. If society breaks down due to an unforseen catastrophe, this education would be worthless.

3.) Are we to assume the common idea as proposed in 'children of men', that if society is sanctioned by borders, and that people are held collective, that independant nations, factions, or religions might be created?
...
I'm basically asking to consider the idea of an independent nation, religion or faction forming as a result a social disaster.
Like Lord of the Flies? Or the short story "404" (or "The Southern Throughway") by Julio Cortazar. Or even Heart of Darkness, in a way.

4.) At this point, would your survival surpass your morals? And to what degree?
In some sense, morals are a luxury. But we have to ask ourselves in that situation what is more important, what will most allow survival. It is possible that doing something abhorrent "to survive" would decrease our humanity to such a degree that survival no longer matters to us. Who knows? There is no way to know what someone will do in an extreme situation without being in that situation.

wow. I'm blown away.

pertaining to number 3, you've got the idea. Suto heart of darkness, but we're talking on a large social standing. Not primitive by any means, but held captive long enough to form it's own city state.

otherwise, yeah, best response I've got since I've joined. You ever consider writing a book, I want first print.

[Grayven]

I have a pond in my front yard. One of my neighbors keeps bees.

It might sound like and uneasy relationship, but its not. My neighbors bees come over, drink a few microliters (much less than normal evaporation loss), and fly back. They've never molested (ie stung) me, they just get water and go home. Since they also help my flowers have sex, I've never felt a reason to force my neighbor to repay me for the water his bees have stolen.

I've actually enjoyed watching his bees activities. It's a fun way to relax after a hard day.

BUT -

A few days ago, all his bees vanished. I thought this was strange. They stayed all summer last year. This year they dissappear just after the end of spring .Weird.

I checked online, and found out that this is not unusual. Beehives are vanishing in droves. (No pun I hope)

Then I heard a disturbing quote, supposedly from Einstein. "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left."

I got scared for about a second, then remembered Einstein never really studied bees.

Then I discovered he probably never said it.

Then I discovered honey bees aren't even native to North America.

But it could still be a problem, if our non-native crops can't grow without them. (I dunno, I'm not into agriculture.)

But it is an interesting question.



Is there a problem?

[sledheavy]

I've been told if a certain amount of animals die at one place and time a hasmat team is usually prepared. Sometime in 04 I had heard about 9 squirrels dying somewhere back east and people were flipping out about it. I suppose there's good reason, but I find it kind of funny. Like I've said, an ironic death is far more suiting than a happy one in my opinion.

[The Persnickety Platypus]

1.) Without any idea of where, when or how; why might society fall apart at a catastrophic event. (feel free to use current events)

Rampant homosexuals.

[Cathar1950]

1.) Without any idea of where, when or how; why might society fall apart at a catastrophic event. (feel free to use current events)

Rampant homosexuals.

Rabid maybe but Rampant?
Do you think it is catchy?
I am not sure rampant heterosexuals or rabid would be good either.
I think anything could take us out.
I am sure it will be an accident and no one's fault.