Please keep writing more fiction! Your little story is hopeful, even though it exposes a lot of humans as greedy, selfish nihilists - sorry, I meant capitalists. I actually think that we are in very late-stage capitalism now, and that must mean that something better must come in it’s place. Although it will be rather messy while those who have gained the most from the Military Industrial Capitalist complex refuse to relinquish their riches. But maybe, just maybe, something better is coming.
Thanks for your feedback. I think we're experiencing late-stage capitalism (or maybe it's just regular ol' capitalism?) and it does bring out the worst in people. But I share your hope that something better must be coming soon, and perhaps those with more than enough material goods will learn that money (and war) doesn't buy happiness.
Capitalism can be run more benevolently, but it’s practitioners now (like the thoroughly evil Conservative Party in Britain) just choose not to. Things are definitely much worse, in Britain at least, than they were a few years ago. But then Brexit has an awful lot to do with that - another present from the Tories. Sunny Portugal sounds just lovely in comparison!
I used to think capitalism could be run more benevolently, but now I'm not so sure. It's not its nature to be "benevolent." Its nature is to make profits. For capitalists. To make the rich, richer. To make these profits for capitalists without a care as to whom or to what (like our environment) it hurts. Capitalism might have seemed nicer a few years ago, but possibly that's because our mainstream media was already compromised and selling the "narrative" that the capitalists wanted us workers to hear and accept without question. If capitalism was once "benevolent" how do we explain away slavery--both chattel slavery as practiced up until the 19th century and nowadays wage slavery?
Of course you’re right. I’m thinking of 1960s Britain, when I was a tiny little kid. Things really did seem to be better then. Even though we were a poor family, we lived fairly well. Of course, our parents worked hard, but things didn’t seem as awful as they re now. They were horrible in the 1970s though (no wonder we had Punk Rock as a result!) difficult in the 1980s unless you had a job and got better in the 90s and 00s. It feels like the 70s in Britain again now, which really isn’t good.
Thanks. I hoped for that wonderful Wheel in Space from Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" and that cool Moonbase Alpha from "Space 1999" as a kid. Both those years are long past and it doesn't look like I'll be seeing them in my lifetime, because the wealthy a**holes in power do as their corporate masters tell them to, which is to make war on everybody else on the planet. It's frustrating and depressing beyond words. But we've got to keep dreaming and imagining a better world--and then we've got to work hard for it, fight for it if we must to make it a reality. Throwing in the towel means the capitalist-imperialist bastards win--and I'm too stubborn to allow that to happen!
You got to wonder if any intelligent alien species would even consider stopping by our war-torn world. Maybe they'd pass on by, thinking we're a lost cause. But dreamers keep on dreaming of a better, more just world for all. Perhaps that is a miracle in itself.
"Imagine all the people...living life in peace! You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one." --John Lennon, "Imagine"
Thanks for your kind words. It does seem like we're determined to do ourselves in as a species at times, doesn't it? But when you look into the eyes of a baby or a young child, you can see that humans weren't made for hate--we were made for love and community. We've gotta get ourselves back to our original programming before it's too late.
MLK had a dream in 1963. JFK asked What kind of peace do I seek and mean that same year, 1963. It is now 2024 and where are we? We are further apart on color division and teetering toward WWIII. So much fir idealism
It is disheartening at times when you think how hard MLK Jr. and others worked to bring about a more just and fair society. Some days you just don't want to get out of bed and face the evil in the world. But to give up and give in allows the evil-doers to gain the upper hand. We've gotta keep "dreaming" of a better world for all of humankind. We've gotta keep struggling and working like those civil rights pioneers did. We owe it to their memories and ourselves and posterity.
Thank you! I'd like to find a surefire way to make human beings develop positive attitudes toward each other and the Earth. We have a positive attitude as children, but I believe our capitalist economic system drives it out of us as adults. We're forced to concentrate our energies on making massive profits for the CEOs at the expense of humanity and the environment. It's time to dump this evil system so we can get back to focusing on how best to meet the needs of our fellow humans and our beautiful planet.
Sadly, our closest relatives is the chimpanzee, one of whom destroyed an innocent woman's face.
Please keep writing more fiction! Your little story is hopeful, even though it exposes a lot of humans as greedy, selfish nihilists - sorry, I meant capitalists. I actually think that we are in very late-stage capitalism now, and that must mean that something better must come in it’s place. Although it will be rather messy while those who have gained the most from the Military Industrial Capitalist complex refuse to relinquish their riches. But maybe, just maybe, something better is coming.
Thanks for your feedback. I think we're experiencing late-stage capitalism (or maybe it's just regular ol' capitalism?) and it does bring out the worst in people. But I share your hope that something better must be coming soon, and perhaps those with more than enough material goods will learn that money (and war) doesn't buy happiness.
Capitalism can be run more benevolently, but it’s practitioners now (like the thoroughly evil Conservative Party in Britain) just choose not to. Things are definitely much worse, in Britain at least, than they were a few years ago. But then Brexit has an awful lot to do with that - another present from the Tories. Sunny Portugal sounds just lovely in comparison!
I used to think capitalism could be run more benevolently, but now I'm not so sure. It's not its nature to be "benevolent." Its nature is to make profits. For capitalists. To make the rich, richer. To make these profits for capitalists without a care as to whom or to what (like our environment) it hurts. Capitalism might have seemed nicer a few years ago, but possibly that's because our mainstream media was already compromised and selling the "narrative" that the capitalists wanted us workers to hear and accept without question. If capitalism was once "benevolent" how do we explain away slavery--both chattel slavery as practiced up until the 19th century and nowadays wage slavery?
Of course you’re right. I’m thinking of 1960s Britain, when I was a tiny little kid. Things really did seem to be better then. Even though we were a poor family, we lived fairly well. Of course, our parents worked hard, but things didn’t seem as awful as they re now. They were horrible in the 1970s though (no wonder we had Punk Rock as a result!) difficult in the 1980s unless you had a job and got better in the 90s and 00s. It feels like the 70s in Britain again now, which really isn’t good.
Great and sobering story. When I was younger I really hoped the world of today would be so much better than it is. Instead we're heading for oblivion.
Thanks. I hoped for that wonderful Wheel in Space from Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" and that cool Moonbase Alpha from "Space 1999" as a kid. Both those years are long past and it doesn't look like I'll be seeing them in my lifetime, because the wealthy a**holes in power do as their corporate masters tell them to, which is to make war on everybody else on the planet. It's frustrating and depressing beyond words. But we've got to keep dreaming and imagining a better world--and then we've got to work hard for it, fight for it if we must to make it a reality. Throwing in the towel means the capitalist-imperialist bastards win--and I'm too stubborn to allow that to happen!
You got to wonder if any intelligent alien species would even consider stopping by our war-torn world. Maybe they'd pass on by, thinking we're a lost cause. But dreamers keep on dreaming of a better, more just world for all. Perhaps that is a miracle in itself.
"Imagine all the people...living life in peace! You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one." --John Lennon, "Imagine"
I enjoyed your story! It would take aliens to even slow the destruction of humans. We seem dead set on extinction
Thanks for your kind words. It does seem like we're determined to do ourselves in as a species at times, doesn't it? But when you look into the eyes of a baby or a young child, you can see that humans weren't made for hate--we were made for love and community. We've gotta get ourselves back to our original programming before it's too late.
Humans are generally good but ruled by those who are not, power corrupts or attracts the corrupt.
MLK had a dream in 1963. JFK asked What kind of peace do I seek and mean that same year, 1963. It is now 2024 and where are we? We are further apart on color division and teetering toward WWIII. So much fir idealism
It is disheartening at times when you think how hard MLK Jr. and others worked to bring about a more just and fair society. Some days you just don't want to get out of bed and face the evil in the world. But to give up and give in allows the evil-doers to gain the upper hand. We've gotta keep "dreaming" of a better world for all of humankind. We've gotta keep struggling and working like those civil rights pioneers did. We owe it to their memories and ourselves and posterity.
I really enjoyed your work of fiction.
And, thinking about the attitudes of hatred and greed, babies just want to connect with others, so those attitudes are cultivated.
I wonder how we manage to stop cultivating these destructive attitudes.
Thank you! I'd like to find a surefire way to make human beings develop positive attitudes toward each other and the Earth. We have a positive attitude as children, but I believe our capitalist economic system drives it out of us as adults. We're forced to concentrate our energies on making massive profits for the CEOs at the expense of humanity and the environment. It's time to dump this evil system so we can get back to focusing on how best to meet the needs of our fellow humans and our beautiful planet.
I agree. We're at a such a profound point in history, and we have to figure out how to do this.