The US fundamentally didn’t stand a chance of achieving a Star Trek future. Individuals and society have opposing goals. The US is big on individuals, so society will suffer.
I read a Chinese work on this a year or so ago. In that, our current world fell apart in the nuclear war because America couldn’t settle its differences. Humanity built a new society on top of it to be much more collectivist, though they also modified the anatomy of the human species somewhat to make this possible. Of course, some people felt that the price of preventing the rise of another Trump is too much to pay, and started a revolt.
The question put forward by that work is essentially this: Suppose you had a magic button that made everyone feel immense empathy for everyone else, and want to genuinely improve everyone’s well-being. However, this will cause everyone to live simple lives, forever. “Interesting times” will be a thing of the past, for better or worse. Would you take the offer?
I’ll admit I’m exhausted, but I’m confused about the simple lives part? Seems really non-sequitor
Even people with empathy disagree, kill, try, out compete? Fuck even I’ve done things and felt bad.
So without understanding the second part of your hypothetical question, and no knowledge of this magic buttons operation, yes, assuming it’s not some monkey’s paw bullshit.
But to respond generally, how about the preamble to the constitution:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Tell me a better mission statment from an existing government.
The US fundamentally didn’t stand a chance of achieving a Star Trek future. Individuals and society have opposing goals. The US is big on individuals, so society will suffer.
I read a Chinese work on this a year or so ago. In that, our current world fell apart in the nuclear war because America couldn’t settle its differences. Humanity built a new society on top of it to be much more collectivist, though they also modified the anatomy of the human species somewhat to make this possible. Of course, some people felt that the price of preventing the rise of another Trump is too much to pay, and started a revolt.
The question put forward by that work is essentially this: Suppose you had a magic button that made everyone feel immense empathy for everyone else, and want to genuinely improve everyone’s well-being. However, this will cause everyone to live simple lives, forever. “Interesting times” will be a thing of the past, for better or worse. Would you take the offer?
I’ll admit I’m exhausted, but I’m confused about the simple lives part? Seems really non-sequitor Even people with empathy disagree, kill, try, out compete? Fuck even I’ve done things and felt bad.
So without understanding the second part of your hypothetical question, and no knowledge of this magic buttons operation, yes, assuming it’s not some monkey’s paw bullshit.
But to respond generally, how about the preamble to the constitution:
Tell me a better mission statment from an existing government.