Forget another Great Depression.. will we see a new Dark Age?

[jetgraphics]

As massive databases of knowledge accumulate in the form of digital records, and less is kept in other durable forms, a catastrophic loss of digital records would plunge mankind into chaos.

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by jetgraphics

As massive databases of knowledge accumulate in the form of digital records, and less is kept in other durable forms, a catastrophic loss of digital records would plunge mankind into chaos.

Small tiny example. Your stuck, car dead Cell dead. You have to call someone to get you. Stand at a phone, no phone book,but then if like so many of us you don't have a landline, won't help. So, do you actually have a printed list of your 'contacts' or just hope you'll never need to remember a number or two?

[GregW]

Dark Ages

I fear the Islamic culture will, because it will never stop trying, overwhelm the Western world. Its response to the exposure to a free and open society has been condemnation and a return to a horrific past. If it continues on this path and refuses to accommodate secular society it will have to be destroyed. This goes beyond war into pest control and will have to be a complete as the Spanish destruction of the Inca and the Aztec.

Western secular culture is facing an economic crisis as the very wealthy have subverted the market system and replaced it with nearly feudal cronyism. Even if the current system breaks down the society will recreate an economy that might just work b y removing the coercion and replacing it with free innovation. We are also facing a military crisis as nuclear weapons have precluded any more continental wars. Without these the excess production has to go somewhere so we invented a system of Forever War involving low level but very expensive conflicts to protect the investment of the crony capitalists. These will diminish as we move to distributed energy not dependant on dwindling oil sources.

There is also the problem of not being able to feed, house and cloth much of the expanding human population. I believe this will be solved as secular prosperity automatically reduces the need for many children to assure parents they will have someone to care for them when they get elderly. Actually caring for the aged may become the next great economic revival. If not the old population controllers of War, Famine, Plague and Pestilence are still around.

Thus I see some worldwide hard times coming but I also figure someone will figure out how to have everyone live well enough that they can forget about the Horseman as well as about abject poverty or international perpetual war. I hope.

[Angorlee]

the Hindus say that when society reaches a stage in which property confers rank, inwhich wealth becomes the only source of virtue then we are in the Kali Yuga or dark age.

I fear the Islamic culture will, because it will never stop trying, overwhelm the Western world. Its response to the exposure to a free and open society has been condemnation and a return to a horrific past. If it continues on this path and refuses to accommodate secular society it will have to be destroyed. This goes beyond war into pest control and will have to be a complete as the Spanish destruction of the Inca and the Aztec.

I believe that Islam is on its last kick like a dying animal. The reason I believe that is because Islam cannot hold back the tide of the modern world and Islam has no defense against a few changes to modernity. If one change happens the whole edifice collapses. They will carry on a bloody fight for a long time but their end is near. If they were winning they wouldn't have to be violent. The reason that they are violent is because they are losing. True, its the fastest growing religion in the world but that doesn't mean its on sure footing. We in the west seem to think that the muslim people think just like the terrorists and others who want to spread Islam. But that isn't true. Many people in muslim countries don't go by religious laws anymore. They eat pork and drink just like in the west. And on Ramadan many stores are open and car dealers even have Ramadan sales. Many more examples could be given. The arab spring risings weren't about religion it was carried on by young people who want jobs. They see what the chinese did in growing into a world economic power and they want that too. I could be wrong but thats my take on it.