How close to the end (drugs, regime, deaths, invasion)
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With all the turmoil in the world, killings, wars, and the global economic meltdown. How many of you think the end is pretty near. Or is this just a difficult cycle. I sometimes feel that this is it, and I've been around for 52 years, some up, some down.
What do you think. I guess, like the movie Signs, I'm looking for a bit of comfort.
In a short 30 year period from 1914 to 1945 the humanity survived:
- WW1 (18 million killed, three European superpowers destroyed)
- the great Influenza pandemic of 1918 (from 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide, more deadly than the World War 1, perhaps even more deadly than WW2)
- the Great Depression
- the scary, super aggressive totalitarian regimes in Germany, Soviet Union and Japan - each of them many orders of magnitude more dangerous than ISIS, with millions killed internally during purges and forced collectivization and civil war, and industrial potential rivaling ours
- WW2 with over 80 million casualties
- the beginning of Nuclear menace
So when you also take into consideration such apocalyptic events as Russian or Chinese civil wars, or the Japanese invasion of China, you have over 200 million deaths from war, hunger and disease in just 30 years. For comparison, the entire US population in 1940 was just 132 million.
It really sucked being a Russian or a German born in say 1895. Your chances of survival to your age of 52 (1947) would be extremely small, and if you did survive, you would be lucky to live past 60, and by that time you'd have lived an extremely hard, dangerous life with never ending hardships. And most people you knew and loved would be dead well before their time.
And even as an American, you'd have to live and likely serve through both World Wars, the Influenza, the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl...
And of course then you have the Cold War when we were just one misstep away from getting nuked (and there were at least a few known extremely close calls). And Korea and Vietnam, when we still had the draft.
Our times are, by comparison, easy. But our trust in government and hope for the better future are nearly lost.
And a big part of it is that we were promised better life than what our grandfathers had. Instead, we are back to uncertainty, militarism, and social strife.
Last edited by Ummagumma; 01-20-2016 at 01:41 PM..
If it is the end, we'll never stop it from happening. It's one of those things I refuse to worry about...because worrying won't change whatever outcome awaits us.
I prefer to cling to my faith, and the belief that there is life eternal. It'll be a life (life form) we can't fathom from where we are now. We're not as smart as we think we are.
Want a longer view of time? Look no farther than ancient Hindu texts.There are four Yugas in one 24,000 year cycle:
Satya Yuga, a time of truth and righteousness
Treta Yuga
Dwapara Yuga
Kali Yuga, a time of darkness---that's the one we're in now!
"Coincidentally," the value of 24,000 years fits relatively close with the modern astronomical calculation of one full precession of the equinox, which takes 25,772 years.
Some of the attributes of the Kali Yuga--which is said to have started in 3102 BCE
Rulers will become unreasonable: they will levy taxes unfairly.
Rulers will no longer see it as their duty to promote spirituality, or to protect their subjects: they will become a danger to the world.
People will start migrating, seeking countries where wheat and barley form the staple food source.
Avarice and wrath will be common. Humans will openly display animosity towards each other.
People will have thoughts of murder with no justification and will see nothing wrong in that.
Lust will be viewed as socially acceptable and sexual intercourse will be seen as the central requirement of life.
Sin will increase exponentially, whilst virtue will fade and cease to flourish.
People will take vows and break them soon after.
People will become addicted to intoxicating drinks and drugs.
Religious leaders will no longer be respected, their teachings will be insulted
With all the turmoil in theworld, killings, wars, and the global economic meltdown. How many of you think the end is pretty near. Or is this just a difficult cycle. I sometimes feel that this is it, and I've been around for 52 years, some up, some down.
What do you think. I guess, like the movie Signs, I'm looking for a bit of comfort.
K
These things have always been happening. We are just more aware of everything due to the 24 news cycle and the internet.
I am always telling my children to be GRATEFUL that they live in the 21st Century in the US in the middle class. I remind them to be grateful for air conditioning, modern medicine, computers, automobiles and the list goes on and on.
I know this sounds trite, but try to focus on the positive.
I don't think it's the END. I do think we're headed for some major troubles. One huge difference between what happened during the time period UmmaGumma mentioned, and now, is the enormous debt carried by countries around the world. I'm not an economist, so maybe I'm way out if left field, but I don't see how we come through this easily.
Location: When you take flak it means you are on target
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Retroit
The end of what?
The end of this thread. IBTL.
I think he means the end of the world as we know it, you know, economic meltdown, emps, WWIII, pick your poison.
Basically life sucks, then you die, so I don't see anything really affecting the world at large. Look at WWII, the Americas were largely unaffected other than personel wise in the US. But other west hemi countries were business as usual.
Right now there are burned out, pulverized cities in Syria that look like Dresden or London after the war. It doesn't affect the rest of us. But life for them is the end of their world.
Economic issues always go up and down. Prices go up, consumers stop buying, business falters, until people pay for needs, then business picks up and repeats. If it affects you, it's bad, otherwise you don't notice.
62 people hold more wealth than 3.3 Billion. But consider, most of those billions live agrarian lives the same as two hundred years ago. They don't have tablets to type drivel on, like I do in my fancy house with my 70" tv and new cars in the drive. For me, the loss of luxuries would seriously suck, but a subsistance farmer in Botswana won't even notice.
I hope the world doesn't end, but if it does I'll do OK. I got guns.
We're actually at a pretty peaceful time. Read a bit of history. It won't take much reading before you realize that times have been a lot worse in the past. The worst in recent and modern history has been the first half of the 1900's and there were times in the distant past that were even worse then then! We have our issues now? True! Yes, there are conflicts but look at history and some of these conflicts have been going on for 1000 years and, unfortunately, probably won't end any time soon. It's just the way it is in that part of the world!
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