is it possible to be truly optimistic after ~10k years of human history?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > is it possible to be truly optimistic after ~10k years of human history?

The Dipshit: Dec 21, 2005; by FactsAreUseless

Kerning Chameleon posted:

Yeah, the primary issue with the "but this is the best time to be alive ever!" nonsense is that the modern socio-economic/geopolitical landscape now operates on extreme Quidditch rules: running up the score on human rights, clean energy, and less wars will have amounted to jack poo poo once the Golden Snitch of runaway climate change and/or nuclear holocaust is grabbed. Maybe also if some sci-fi silliness like a global sterility plague like Children of Men happens, but that's of course super unlikely especially compared to the first two scenarios.

Point is, if we get "blown back to the stone age", we're probably not ever going to be able to get back anywhere near the current industrial-digital golden age we currently enjoy, simply because the resources we needed to get here won't exist anymore because we exhausted most of them the first go round. Thus, humanity won't die out, but will instead limp along in a permanent lovely pre-industrial feudal state until the planet literally becomes incapable of sustaining human life in the far, far future.

I suppose you could take comfort in that idea, but that level of eternal inescapable suffering makes me believe "out with a bang" total extinction would be the kinder outcome of the collapse, personally.

Ok, I'll bite, what resources are you referring to that would prevent modern industrial civilization from reforming out of the ashes of this one.

# ¿ Sep 7, 2018 03:40

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 06:35

The Dipshit: Dec 21, 2005; by FactsAreUseless

Owlofcreamcheese posted:

People have an extreme boner for fossil fuels, years of propaganda rotted their brain and can not imagine civilization existing without them.

Like fax machines pre-date the use of fossil fuels but people are absolutely convinced a civilization without coal is a civilization of primitive huts and all human achievement requires oil.

We also have far, far more fossil fuels to burn than we have climate to annihilate for human habitation.

# ¿ Sep 7, 2018 14:13

The Dipshit: Dec 21, 2005; by FactsAreUseless

Kerning Chameleon posted:

What are my winnings if I wager on pessimism instead? I'd like to know all the payout possibilities before committing to my bet.

Fuckall besides some "I told you so" poo poo. Presumably you join in D&D because you want to discuss an idea. So... answer my question? OOCC does not speak for you I assume.

# ¿ Sep 7, 2018 22:00

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > is it possible to be truly optimistic after ~10k years of human history?