How long do you suppose before the world unites in peace?

[fury]

I suspect, with all the terrorist activity going on in recent events, that it will take at least a century or 3.

If I'd have to make a ballpark estimate, I'd put my guess at about the late 2200's to mid 2300's. Here we are in the 21st century, with virtually none of the advances promised last century (hover cars, efficient speech recognition, affordable robotic maids, to name a few), and with people still setting off bombs and throwing airline jets into buildings. Humanity's maturity level, it seems, is still at its infancy.

I don't expect to even see proposals by major governments of the world until the early 2200s, and that's a long shot in itself.

What do you think?

How long do you think it will take for the governments and the people around the world to unite with one another in peace, completely rid of violence, racism, hatred, and other bad stuff like that?

 

[Justintime]

at least a millenia

 

[krusty]

we are heading towards the end of the world as we know it.

You have nothing to look forward to.

 

[Bink]

I honestly don't think it will ever truly happen. Not in a complete way at least.

Besides, biblically, we're destined to failure

 

[fury]

Since when did the writings in a book, written by humans mind you, define the fate of mankind? Even if that book is the most widely read book of all time, there's no way to know whether every single thing there is true. Supposing for a moment that the idea of our destiny to fail is a fact, I believe that fate can sometimes be altered, and that we can be (are?) the greatest species in the universe.

How ya like that?

 

[Bink]

No point debating the biblical matters with an athiest, so I'll stick to the basic principals

For as long as human kind can remember, it has been human nature to conflict. There has been no recorded time in history where everything was fine and dandy. The same traits that drive us to conflict a millenia ago, are still with us today, as strong as ever.

Nothing will change. At least not in any timeline we can relate to. The media may put pretty clothes on everything and dress up the world as though it was a dandy place, but underneath, it's the same old place it always was.

 

[fury]

I'm not an Atheist

I just don't believe everything I read.

If the conflicting and conquering nature of humans has existed since we were created/evolved/thought up by some imaginary thing that wanted to keep his mind busy/whatever, then how come the political borders never seem to change? Isn't China one of the most powerful militial forces on the earth? If so, how are they not dominating half the world by now?

Back in the caveman days, we all carried big sticks, and everybody knew to stay away from everybody, otherwise they'd end up with a bruised body.

Nowadays, it's all about pride. That desire for pride in beating someone up or surviving a beating from them, I believe, will eventually wear off. Competition will obviously remain, but violent competition will cease to exist. The world will become what we now think of as "ideal", and I believe it can be made to happen.

People of the here and now have the mental capacity not to do stupid shit like beat up or kill someone, steal something, or take drugs that will either immediately or eventually kill themselves.

Imagine where evolution will take us when centuries pass by with the ever increasing capabilities of the human mind.

Millions of years ago, we were probably apes and we didn't know an ass in the ground from an ass in our hole. Thousands of years ago, we were arrogant enough to believe this planet was the center of the universe. Hundreds of years ago, everybody assumed the earth was flat. Now? We're throwing big dildo-shaped vehicles into space and not even considerate enough to pick up the pieces left behind. Although not the best picture to use as an analogy for the intelligence of our species as it is now, it's still an example of the big step up from the way we were long ago and the way we are now. I think we're always moving forward in the constant process that is commonly referred to as evolution, and that evolution will lead us to a society that, for the lack of a better word, is ideal.

 

[ris]

Originally posted by fury
How long do you think it will take for the governments and the people around the world to unite with one another in peace, completely rid of violence, racism, hatred, and other bad stuff like that?

too long, sadly

 

[Justintime]

i'd venture to say never actually! too many agitators and agressors exist and will always do for that to happen

 

[unclehobart]

(spock voice) It has always been easier to destroy than to create. The pot is on a breakneck pace to boil over. Its a sheer side effect of having a zillion people on the planet coming from 200+ national identities, 2000+ linguistic identities, 200+ religious identities; all coupled loosely together with all of the little human weaknesses of envy, pride and arrogance. It will not come together until it all comes to a head. It would have to be a super virus or mass nuclear armageddon to save humanity. Such a virus or war would ultimately wipe out 90% of the world population, and with it, all national identities and group association teritorialisms that got us into this mess in the first place. Once its comes down to a matter of sheer survival; once we have no free time to think out way into tight spots outside of the 'hunter gatherer' aspect of the base animal that we are. That is when it will gel. That is when we have the best chance to become a single collective hugs and kisses world. Of course we would have to survive the 200 or so years of 'Mad Max' style world clinging on desperately to the days of old first.

 

[Leslie]

Originally posted by unclehobart
(spock voice) It has always been easier to destroy than to create. The pot is on a breakneck pace to boil over. Its a sheer side effect of having a zillion people on the planet coming from 200+ national identities, 2000+ linguistic identities, 200+ religious identities; all coupled loosely together with all of the little human weaknesses of envy, pride and arrogance. It will not come together until it all comes to a head. It would have to be a super virus or mass nuclear armageddon to save humanity. Such a virus or war would ultimately wipe out 90% of the world population, and with it, all national identities and group association teritorialisms that got us into this mess in the first place. Once its comes down to a matter of sheer survival; once we have no free time to think out way into tight spots outside of the 'hunter gatherer' aspect of the base animal that we are. That is when it will gel. That is when we have the best chance to become a single collective hugs and kisses world. Of course we would have to survive the 200 or so years of 'Mad Max' style world clinging on desperately to the days of old first.

That's my feeling. I don't see humankind as intrinsically good, and don't see us evolving into an ideal anything. I foresee the opposite. There is too much instinct in us for that, and we give ourselves too much credit in the intelligence department. I don't think that this instinct for power, ownership can be overcome. We are just like animals in that respect, among others. War, virus, we'd do the mad max thing, build ourselves back up, realize there were others, and start up all over again. Sad, but that's the future I see.

 

[krusty]

It's also easier to ask for proof than to believe something based on faith alone.

If human nature could be quantified mathmatically then lets assume God has already done the sums and knows the outcome.

Isnt this after all what we are trying to do with genome folding.

 

[Bink]

If human nature could be quantified mathmatically then lets assume God has already done the sums and knows the outcome.

Heheh, interesting way of looking at it krusty

 

[krusty]

I think chaos theory is similar... it assumes nothing happens randomly, just that we have no way of calculating the outcome.

 

[outside looking in]

unc,

I think a mass castastrophe like that (90% population gone) would actually strengthen tribalism tendencies. Not the way to go, I'm afraid.

fury,

I agree with your views. To answer your question, I don't think it will happen this Century, but it won't be long after that. Actually, I fell that by mid-Century there will be a skeletal form of operating "world-government" and "world-court", but they will be more like the UN than any national government is. There will still be conflicts, religious and racial hatred, and general stupidity will abound. I am optimistic that peace is within our grasp though. There are millions of people in the world today that could live quite happily under such a system. Sadly, there are billions that could not. Give it some time... a hundred years or more, and the average level of intelligence on the planet will be high enough to make peace a reality.

 

[sbcanada]

A one world government is not going to happen anytime soon. Everyone wants to rule themselves. Look at the collapse of colonialism. The American Revolution, the different factions in Afghanistan. Aint nobody answering to nobody else us up in here!

 

[Gonz]

There will be peace when mankind realizes there is no need for government. A Jew and an Arab can get along, so can an American & a Canadian. There is some question about certain Americans & certain New Zealanders, but that's another topic. We'll never evolve past murder but, we can move past wars.

 

[outside looking in]

Well said.

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by sbcanada
A one world government is not going to happen anytime soon.

UN, EU, World Court..........etc. Do a search it is around the corner soon bub. The US doesn't want to go with the World Court as also the KYOTO treaty. Makes sence since essentially it would be giving away the rights of the American people. Global Warming is a hoax. I argued this many moons ago. You were not around when we discussed this at HWC OT.

As a Chemistry and Geology major I learn more every day why Global Warming is the biggest crock of shit ever created.

The EU and UN can't take over the US by force without getting their asses kicked so they are going to try it through bullshit political means.

 

[sbcanada]

Why don't you explain to me why global warming is a hoax...
[encouragement]I think you're full of shit![/encouragement]