End Times Reflection — Who Are We?
Break all mirrors
It is becoming quite clear that the human race has made several grievous errors recently that we will pay for dearly and may not recover from for a very long time, if ever.
Capitalism, a remarkable societal invention promoting innovation, has turned into a tool for wealthy tools to take over the globe, turn it upside down, and collect all the money that falls out of everyone’s pocket. In the unrestrained form it has taken, it is responsible for inequality and the plundering of the planet.
Capitalism is a dead end, much like the idea of giant tribes carving up the planet along imaginary, sometimes arbitrary, boundaries and doing battle with each other using weapons befitting giants that can kill thousands — no — millions with one blow. Nationalism may have been useful a century or so ago but is now an impediment to solving problems affecting the entire planet.
Oil was an energy bonanza for the ages. We spent it like drunken sailors before going on a suicide voyage. When we realized we were actually on that cruise, we kept on sailing.
We will keep frantically pushing those buttons at the oil ATM, even when the account is empty, not noticing the wave of famine and disease rising up behind us over the lack of oil.
We thought sustainability was for the other guy, not us. Surely not us.
We have trouble with math such as exponential growth and concepts like equable sharing.
It is egomaniacal to think we are better, different, than the animals with all of our languages, religions, and intricacies of thought.
They have simpler languages, but even an idiotic human can differentiate the sounds of pleasure or pain from an animal. We don’t really know about their emotional life. They could very well be more varied and nuanced than we can imagine.
Animals will fight to the death for their young.
Many are companionable to others of their kind and different species.
Some are loyal and affectionate to humans. If you don’t love your dog you should seek counsel.
Intelligence is a spectrum. It ranges from the sublime in a few humans to the genetic in viruses. Our determination of which is superior is only a product of our ability to imagine such a determination, and we are biased.
We are fooling ourselves.
We are no better than the animals we eat. Just more vicious, cunning, and powerful.
Religion is a source of hope and comfort, even a lifestyle, for some. But an alien exo-anthropologist in his stealth spaceship orbiting Earth and observing humans might describe it as a conglomeration of mythology, shamanism, and a few moral truths thrown in for verisimilitude. It is a psychological defense against the terror of mortality, and it works for many.
Then again, millions have died in the name of religion. Fighting over whose god is real and how to worship him [almost always him for some reason — it is the biblical implication, supposedly from God Himself, so I will respect His wishes], even when they agree there is only one god. How illogical is that?
We are a flawed species on the brink of failure. Our vaunted intellect was not successful in controlling our primal urges. Our greed and lack of empathy has conquered love and nurturing. Our thoughts run more to possessions rather than the simple experience of life with its daily hardships and blessings. Our technology outran our ability to socially and emotionally adapt to it, perhaps by centuries.
We don’t need God to do a reset on humanity like He did before with the Flood. We are taking care of that for Him. This time, I don’t think He will be giving advice on how to build an ark or other refuge. Since we’ve been insolent enough to take over His job for Him, He will leave that up to us as well.
Good luck, us.