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World Politics

The theme of this blog site is, ‘The Human Condition’ and a look at world politics shows us exactly what that condition is. A homegrown entrepreneur has become the wealthiest individual on the planet – Elon Musk!  What are his intentions for his newfound wealth? Space exploration. I love a success story as much as the next person and exploration is inevitable.  Man has been exploring since he first opened his eyes to the world around him. I suspect at first it was plain curiosity and then necessity, but what drives the current explorers? Perhaps a bit of both, or are we trying to escape the chaos we have created on planet earth? Can the Elon Musks of the world help us escape the chaos created by the way we interact with each other here?

Media

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It may be easier to switch off the television, never read newsprint and decrease our social media interaction, but will we? That would be to live permanently in a bubble and not as in the temporary situation Covid has forced on us. I doubt that living on Mars would change our relationships too much. The physical and practical changes adventurers experience, when they dare to go beyond the frontiers of space, will have little effect on our human condition. It may become a good place to build a penal colony where despots, corrupt politicians and big business polluters get banished, so earth can start re-building a better place for all.

Pipe Dream

It may seem like a pipe dream, but that is exactly how inventors and adventurers

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start out – with a dream. I’m sure the boykie from South Africa had a dream of some sort to start with and look where it’s taken him. There may be those of us who think his millions could be better spent in other fields. However, the privilege of making that choice is his reward for faith in his endeavours. As dreams go, he leaves a challenge to those who would like to tell him what to do with his millions – what is your dream? Do you dream to educate all learners to a standard that realises their dreams?  Or perhaps make crime not pay. Or educate people to a level that we no longer pollute, consume, and destroy as much as we do? I’m sure the entrepreneur understands how to match the dream with reality. He sees a need and finds a way.

Getting it Right

There is no way that we can control human behaviour to where people become robots (although the state of the American Nation at the moment shows exactly how close we can come to it) but we can do our best to do better. Positive, useful intention is needed. It serves little or no useful purpose to focus selfishly on my own needs. It is simply common sense to make sure that all around me are secure and content too, or discontent will follow. Look to nature for a way to learn how important the balance in life is. When we first became curious about our environment, we learnt the best lessons for life on earth. We need to go back to do refresher courses before we hope to make life in space worthwhile, or we will invade and destroy as we explore.

Lynda Rogle©

The post World Chaos and Space Exploration appeared first on lyndaroglebooks.

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Choices

The global human family has come to the crossroads, and the choices we make will decide the survival of humanity. The important thing if we survive is, what vital lesson will we learn from the current disaster of the Corona Virus.

KINDNESS

The most significant question for me is whether we want to survive at all. If we survive, what do we do with the reprieve we get? Will we be kinder to the planet and our neighbour?  Will we consume less, waste less, care more, take more responsibility for our actions and protect the vulnerable more?

GREED

Will national and personal greed stop, wars cease, wisdom prevail, and egos magically disappear? How afraid do we have to become to learn the hard lesson of life? ‘Adapt or die‘ was the famous advice of an apartheid president nicknamed, ‘Die Krokodil’ and yet, even he failed to adapt.

IDOLATRY

Instant gratification and instant satisfaction have brought us here. A place where we have lost all common sense and rational thinking on the altar of self idolatry. ‘I want what I want’ is a commonly accepted norm. In fact, the quicker we can supply it, the better it is for business, because tomorrow you will want more. And so we have instant food, instant entertainment, instant delivery and quantity is no problem. There is no end to the wanting.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The modern advancement in technology that sped up our development may solve our present predicament. And so it should be, since development played a crucial role in our current lifestyle. Artificial Intelligence to the rescue? In a previous article, I suggested we learn to embrace the inevitable by accepting a future where AI becomes the norm. The Corona Pandemic has propelled us into an artificial intelligence and high-tech future at a speed we never imagined.

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

AI may be the answer for mass medical care when medical staff on the front line buckle under the strain at quarantine facilities and hospitals. They could also transport and dispense vital equipment faster and even manufacture these faster and more efficiently.

SURVEILLANCE

Frontline workers are human and vulnerable and will also succumb to the virus. AI could help. Surveillance technology already exists why not put this to good use? Is this how the robots take over the planet, as suggested in some fantasy ficti0n? Strict surveillance can also be a kindness when the intention is to save lives. Governments and individuals will still decide when and how to quarantine and self-isolate, not robots. So, no, they will not be taking over the planet just yet. For those of us who champion total freedom, see my article titled ‘Unfettered Freedom’. It explains why total freedom is non-existent.

COMPASSION

Incentives to stay home should include massive supplies of technical resources to poor families who would not normally afford this. Giant technical suppliers need to step up regarding data access to schooling from home to keep the children home. For those who think this untenable, my response is, where is your innovation and creativity when needed most? Not only is this compassion, it is also common sense. What is the point of high-tech that has no one to use it because the population no longer exists?

READING

Social media use has come into its own as a positive tool for nations isolated from others, particularly family. If we love family and neighbour, we will in all kindness remain isolated for as long as it is necessary. Anything worth achieving comes with some difficulty. Is life not worth living? See it as an opportunity for downtime and developing our relationships uniquely. Perhaps we learn to read books again. ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ could be useful too.

STAYING ALIVE

Our way of life may drastically change after the pandemic has run its course.  It is up to us to stay alive to see that day. The prediction of a year from 2020 before they develop a vaccine requires that we self-isolate. We must also go into quarantine when tested positive. Keeping your distance is to have compassion towards others and is not only an act of self-preservation.

CHALLENGES

The challenges in South Africa and the world are many, particularly affecting those communities where keeping your distance is almost impossible. With winter looming, huddling against the cold will tempt but could hurt. The most vulnerable people will always pay the price for the selfish and arrogant people, who think they are invincible. We may not huddle, but keeping our distance is another way of loving.

EGO

We have to be smart enough to know that obeying the rules is much more important than our egos. More urgent than maintaining our humanity in isolation, is doing all in our power to stay alive – which is the same thing – and to consider the safety of others while doing so. This time of Corona Virus pandemic has no place for macho stupidity!!

Lynda Rogle ©

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