With all this free-speech stuff and all the concentration of world military power, the furture seems bleak. Ten years from now, I hope to rule the world.

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This poll contains 5 question(s). 43 user(s) have voted.
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Poll Results: What Will The World Be Like In Ten Years? (43 votes.)

Will there be more than 1 super-power? (Choose 1)
* Yes. - 47% (20)
* No. - 35% (15)
* No. There will be no super-powers. - 19% (8)

Will Europe be a police state? (Choose 1)
* Yes. - 37% (16)
* No. - 63% (27)

Will we be on the eve or a nuclear cataclysm? (Choose 1)
* Yes. - 12% (5)
* No. - 44% (19)
* It will have already happened. - 19% (8)
* No, but a major world revolution is. - 26% (11)

Have you read "1984"? Your thoughts? (Choose 1)
* Yes. - 40% (17)
* No. - 60% (26)

Will I be supreme ruler of Earth? (Choose 1)
* Yes. - 2% (1)
* No. - 63% (27)
* Just of your home country. - 0% (0)
* Can I be your right-hand man (or woman). - 35% (15)

Jorgan, you will not rule the world as I have already twarted your plan to rule the world and indeed I shall be ruling the world using a puppet dictator to take the fall for 'things' that will make the world a better place. If you're very nice to me however I may let you rule some out of the way place.

On topic now ;) I think the world will be a very different place. Either there'll still be a lot of conflict going on stemming from current events now and governments using it as an excuse to clamp down on freedom, or we will have a 1984 situation where the war is 'still going on' and we think we are free. Oh and big ol' jawaj dubyuaa will use all this as an excuse to rule the US forever. Frankly you people are better off under me, you'll only lose certain 'rights' temporarily while I get the world straightened out :grin:

Judging by how the world is today, I'd say we're screwed. And there is no way in hell that you are ruling anything, well maybe over your trash can in the alley but not of anything important :p

Let me just say that we are way overdue for a mass extinction.

I ten years I will have mastered my phsichic abilities!!! Muaahaha!

Honestly I think that in ten years time I'll view the world in the same way differently and see that life sucks in a whole new respect :xx:

In ten years Pink and red will probably be the *in* colours, Tony blair will be replaced with someone who is more of a geek and bush will be replaced with a lower IQ, people will be super-intelligent led by morons wearing Jeans and t-shirts and looking so old fashioned. Language will be replaced with slang and SP will be filled with people going "I remember First edition D&D - not this seventh edition malarky." ;)

I see the world in ten years being full of violence and conflict. However, I see this only in certain areas of the world (the Middle East for example.)
On the flip side, in more "civilized" areas of the world technology will continue to progress (especially with computers.) All of us here who post on the SP boards can say "remember the days when computers only had gigabytes for storage capasity on the hard drive, and man! those 3 gigahertz processors were slow."

Well the futures bleak, the futures not orange :heh: Before i comment on my feelings on this topic i will comment on the poll. "Will I (Jorgan) be ruler of the world?" No-one voted for Yes. So even jorgan doesn't think he/she will be ruler of the world, so basically you ain't got a chance mate :p

Now on topic. The way things are going it looks very likely that there will be another world war in which the majority of the world will suffer the effects of chemical and nuclear weaponry. Perhaps we all end up as in John Wyndhams (sp?) book the Chrysallids in the aftermath of a nuclear war back to primitive roots of farming and basic ways of killing people - clubs and sharp objects, but not just having someone press a button and watch as the missiles fly. Icarus alsorts (a poem i had to study in english) is about such an occurence and any who have read it will know what im on about (well probably :confused: i don't make to much sense sometimes :confused: )

What changed over the last 10 years? The EU arose, but that doesn't really appear to have significantly altered the dynamics of the world. The members of the EU still generally go their own way politically. 9/11 happened; but, to most of the world that is remote and even its aftermath is being tempered. That's not to say that the US won't take out its aggressions on Iraq, quite the contrary. But, 10 years ago, the US had just taken out its aggressions on Iraq. Deja vu all over again.

Who's going to be the next superpower? Put more bluntly, who's going to be dumb enough to dump a disproportionate amount of resources into arms build-up? -- I assume that your definition of super-power is primarily one of armed might and not economic might.

The Middle East will still be a seething cauldron of hate and violence, which will make it different from the last 50+ years in what way? Israel will still exist, the arabs will still hate the Israelis, the creation of lack thereof of a Palestinian state won't make a bloody difference. The truly shocking thing would be if some country in the Middle East actually developed a working authentic democratic from of government. Turkey is iffy at best and Iran appears to have the best chance of the rest of the Islamic states. Good luck to all of them.

I just don't see all that much changing barring an escalation of the Iraq controversy. Now, having said that, I sure as heck believe that, if handled incorrectly, Iraq can escalate into a major global confrontation. However, the politicians seem to be firmly in control of this one (whether for good or ill), so who's to say how big the escalation will be? That's the wild card.

The future's so bright ... I gotta wear them shades.

I'm still hoping for Jetson's style cars!!!

Anyways, I just voted.
@Atreides
Can you say terabytes? Or maybe even quantum computers that make a gigahertz look like a single hertz?

Regardless, I have a pet theory that, in a basic sense, history repeats itself. One hundred years ago, what was the US specifically doing? Fighting Maori(moslem) tribesman in the Phillipines. The US is also fighting moslems now. Before that, America had the Barbary incident where Stephen Decatur raided Tripoli(which is moslem) and freed several American captives. Every hundred years or so is a major military break-through as well. In the 1950's the jet bomber and ICBM were the big break-through. In the 1850's the gatling gun and first tactical use of railroads in the Prussians campaign against the Asutrians. 1750's was the Kentucky long rifle and first major use of guerilla tactics(French and Indian war). Proxy conflicts always signal the demise of a major power as well. The Britain/France stuff in the 1700's signalled the end of French power. The US/Soviet conflicts signalled the end of Soviet power. Now, these examples only go back 250 years, but the time period between events increases the further back in time you go because inoovation is like a rolling stone. How long did it take to get a gigahertz computer? Already we have 3 gigahertz computers! Smart guns are in development, monkeys can communicate through use of a keyboard, we can sometimes make it snow, people have artificial hearts, we've unlocked the human genome, etc. This process can only speed up.

there will be two major superpowers:

United Europan States and USA...

they will continue the imperalism that USA have begun... it will be a police state, yes and will be like a new USA... USA will control the Middle-East and Europe will have some small countrys in Africa...

a dark future indeed...

BTW - haven't read 1984

we crazy humans have been on the verge of extinguishing ourselves since the caveman held a club in his hand. It is a waste of energy to worry over the worlds future, we only can control so much in our lives. The rest is a matter of faith, hope or trust.

the future is full of possiblities...

Before me lays an open highway and many roads yet untraveled; I don't plan on running out of gas any time soon!

[ December 24, 2002, 23:42: Message edited by: scarampella ]

Well, unless George Warmonger Bush destroys the world prematurely with nuclear weapons within the next year or so over his petty personal vendetta of finishing the failings of his father to assassinate Saddam Hussain started by his daddy, in a desperate attempt to control his own oil yards and help stabilise the USA's failing economy, in ten years time, the Illuminati (the REAL power behind those you think are in power) will come to the forefront more and rule supreme!

@ Komei
Who, or what, is the Illuminati?

@Scarampella
Some people do try to micro-manage their future, and even the events that happen around them. The first part is possible, with much mental strength. The other part, events around you, is nearly impossible. The closest anyone ever came was Napoleon, I believe. His mere presence on the battle field gave his army a chance, Wellington once remarked that Napoleon is worth 20k men on the field. Through what seemed was sheer force of will, he would rally his troops or change plans to win. It's late however, Santa may be coming.

So have a MERRY CHRISTMAS. Goodnight.

The Illuminati are a supposidly secret organisation that manipulates the world to their will and are suppposedly the world elite and control the whole world. A whole load of conspiracy theories revolve this organisation so it shouldn't be too hard to find out about them.

@Jorgon, yes I know, people do try to micro manage, and it doesn't do much besides cause them and those around them a lot of stress. Napolean on the other hand is what I would call a great leader. With enough belief in oneself, enough strength of purpose and a vision, a person can lead others. We need people like this, unfortunately sometimes these people are not farsighted in their vision. We humans are tribal, herd-like in a way and in that we find many characters circling our numbers.

According to reliable sources Colonel Sanders is on a board of twelve, who ar ruling the world and make you crave his chicken fortnightly. :grin:

Hopefully someone will blow up the entire world and we won't have to worry about it. The world sucks:(

I heartily agree, scarampella. Especially Americans. They love clubs and org.'s and such. Look at Augusta, Boy/Girl Scouts, Sierra, Car clubs, etc. It's nice to hang out with people like yourself, but it is also good, and also a learning experience to hang out with others who are different, but you also get along.

Now, about the Illuminati. I gotta go look that up. Sorry, but it just sounds so far-fetched to be true, but if it is, well then I gotta go figure out how to infiltrate their order and change stuff :D . Hah. I will. Watch me. If you wanna help, lemme know.

@ dmc
Who's going to be the next superpower? Put more bluntly, who's going to be dumb enough to dump a disproportionate amount of resources into arms build-up? Well, North Korea, Pakistan, China, India... And that's just for starters. Once you have a deadly new toy to show off, all of your neighboring countries will want one too!

The Middle East will still be a seething cauldron of hate and violence, which will make it different from the last 50+ years in what way? Increasing advancements in technology, such as nuclear weapons. Now any madman with enough money can threaten the world! Say you have a situation similar to Saddam, but 10 years from now. The technology in 10 years might enable him to send powerful weapons to our shores. At the very least he might be able to devastate his neighbors.

I just don't see all that much changing barring an escalation of the Iraq controversy. I do. The disputes between India and Pakistan could escalate into WWIII. Both countries have nuclear weapons. The dispute we have with North Korea over thier nuclear weapons could escalate into WWIII. Then you still have Al Queda to deal with. I'm sure a whole new set of problems will pop up in the next 10 years.

Then you have the massive overpopulation problem. Combine with the stripping of natural resources from the planet, the amount of forests we're destroying, the polution we are causing, and the fact that we are in a reactive mode only to things like environmental problems, we don't plan that stuff out because that would actually require the politicians in power to have intelligence and foresight (a contradiction in terms).

I honestly don't see the human race limping along for much longer.I think the next 10 years are going to be full of fear and panic as people begin to realize that we are all doomed. Yes, I see a situation similar to "1984" where we all watch the Free Vee all day to erase our minds, or the movie Brazil, where we are all caught in a vast network of machines that don't do anything except bury us in the system.

[ December 27, 2002, 08:15: Message edited by: Nutrimat ]

There is no overpopulation problem. There is a severe distribution problem though. Overpopulation is only really true on a regional basis where the land cannot sustain the people that live there. Like large parts of Africa but even in many western cities for instance, London and New Yorks population isnt sustained by what is produced within their boundaries but what is brought in. So overpopulation isnt a problem of supply but of distribution and logistics.

@Nutrimat - I think we have a difference of opinion as to the meaning of Superpower. In my opinion, that refers to countries that literally have the ability to destroy the world by themselves (a la US/USSR arms during the Cold War). While I am nervious about N. Korea and the crazies, I do not think of them as superpowers. China has the potential, but has yet to prove it has the resources to build that level of armament and the stupidity to do it.

As for the Middle East, Israel has had nukes for years. So what? As for devastating the neighbors, ask the Kuwaitis whether Saddam needed nukes for that 10 years ago. Ask his own people how they like the chemical weapons. The question is really will he (or his successor) use nukes to the point of mass destruction greater than what he can do now or could have done 10 years ago? I don't think so.

India and Pakistan have been at odds for years and at least one of them has nukes. Kashmir has been a bone of contention for as long as Pakistan has been around. Why now for the escalation and blow-up?

As for "overpopulation," come on -- people have been harping about that for years. There's no overpoulation problem, there's a misallocation of resources.

I cannot buy off on the "we're doomed" rhetoric. There was a much greater chance to be doomed during the Cold War than now, in my opinion. So, lighten up, enjoy the fresh air and have a cup of coffee.

Jorgon, there already is a computer running at 3.0 Terahertz. IIRC, it is an NEC mainframe in Japan.

I think that Asia will economically control most of the world by that time unless US or EU can implement some serious productivity changes.

If we don't have an overpopulation problem now, we will by then. I wouldn't be surprised if the world population is close to 10 billion by then. And just so you know, I read an article in a scientific journal (sorry, don't remember what one) and biologists tend to believe that the world can only properly support about 1 billion people.

I highly doubt that we'll have a 1984 situation. The people wield too much power right now for that to happen.

Then again, I'm probably just too much of a visionary for my own good and will end up being completely wrong.

Well, then, I stand corrected, Rastor. That's crazy, I'm surprised to never have heard of it.
dmc, it's been proven that both India and Pakistan have nukes, they've both tested them. The Cold War was quite safe, seeing as how both the USSR and US believed in mutual destruction, therefore it was not worth it. India, Pakistan, Saddam, do not seem to care quite so much, it is not just a belief system feud as the cold war was, but a cultural feud as well, and that runs much deeper.

India and Pakistan would most likely remain a regional conflict as no one else wants blown up, although China would exploit the outcome and seize their chunk and everyone elses as well of Kasimir. The US needs to leave North Korea alone, if they did not go and try to impose their ideas on everyone and be self-righteous to the point of blindness, maybe 9/11 would not have happened, maybe all these little countries would not be out for blood. As for over-population, you are wrong, America ahs no over-population, neither does Canada, Brazil, or alot of countries, the cities often times do though. For example, Shanghai has a population over 15 million, downtown, not even metro(1992 figure). While the Chinese countryside in parts has not even 5 people per square kilometer!

Heh. Rastor tells it like it is. Japan is in recession but is still such a bastion for technology. And China, if they stopped opressing and could effectively mobilize the work force, their GDP or whatever it is called would be outrageous!!! 1 billion people working! Nothing would be impossible. Dayum.

A world war 3 scenario is always fun to toy with though, and even more fun to explore the possible outcome(books like "Deathlands" Axler, or "Ashes" Johnstone). The UN is wasteful as well. Like UNICEF and the the world bank lending money to despots to spend on weapons to slaughter civilians. Not enough money is actually used the way it was meant to be worth it, so it should be stopped.
Oh, btw, the Ivory Coast could be another Vietnam, the French dragging some country in to help fight guerillas cuz the French suck.

Rastor where have you gotten that 1 billion number? And what standard does that expect people to live by? I have read that the earth can sustain (feed,clothe,house) something closer to 20 billion than one.

Is anyone going to watch the special on The Learning Channel ( I think) on what animals in the future will be like?

Rastor where have you gotten that 1 billion number? And what standard does that expect people to live by? I have read that the earth can sustain (feed,clothe,house) something closer to 20 billion than one. I have read this article as well, with properly he means like the average American in a suburb, you know wooden house, big garden, private garage, etc..
In Europe those things are called villa´s, In America those things are normal :rolleyes: ..

[ December 28, 2002, 13:04: Message edited by: Morgoth ]

Well, I remember reading years ago that if everyone stood shoulder to shoulder they'd stretch to the city limits of Jacksonville. And if every family in the world had an average sized U.S. house and one acre of property the amount of land taken up would be about the size of Texas. This was about..... I dunnon, 5-10 years ago. So, as far as overcrowding.....

Actually Morgoth was struck me as odd when I was over in the states was how small people lived there. True I was only in middleclass homes but they were substantially smaller than the ecquivalent household would live in Sweden. I had also the image of huge houses as the norm. Perhaps I was at the wrong place and I think Sweden as a large country with little population has a tendency for bigger homes than most other european. Real Estate is really cheap here.

You want to see overcrowding or a population boom? Take a look at the areas around San Diego here in the US. When my wife and I moved here we had to look for a house very quickly because we had a number of animals and couldn't rent. Anyways, the property that was available was outrageously expensive. Our agent found a home in our "price range", but by the time we got to the house, they had already accepted an offer that morning and since that time had four other offers made on the house! The closest house we could find that we could afford was 50 miles north! As I drive into San Diego, I see houseing developments going up everywhere. Everytime I return home to where I grew up, suburbs of Chicago, there are always new homes where there were once open fields. Overpopulation is a major problem and I think it will continue to be in the future. According to what I learned in ecology, overpopulation is when the land cannot sustain all the organisms in the area, not just people. the world has been severly overpopulated for a long time and its going to continue.
Look at all we are doing to sustain life and
create life. Life expectancies have increased dramatically. Supposedly we are even cloning people now. Instead of discovering ways to increase the number of people or increase life expectancy, we should be looking for ways to control the population.
I know I may upset some people with this, but does every single couple have to have a child, or two or three? My wife and I have decided not to have children. We don't want any. It has nothing to do with overpopulation, we just don't want to. But I have heard of other people who may not want to have children, still produce children. We have children having children. How about more research on birth control and preventing kids from having kids?
We are using up natural resources faster and faster, yet we aren't spending money on finding alternative resources. Take Gasoline, there are so many alternatives to gas, but you don't here about them because of oil companies lobbying politicians.
So were do I see the world in ten years? If things continue the way they are going, I see things getting worse. I see more polution, overcrowding of cities and depletion of many resources. Maybe not in ten years, but definitely in our future.
By the way, the number of organisms and ecosystem, or environmental nich, or the earth in this case, can sustain, is called the carrying capacity. There is actually a formula for it. I'll find it someday.

[ December 30, 2002, 09:20: Message edited by: Elios ]

There is definetely an overcrowding problem but it appears only in big cities not in small cities or rural areas. For example, Athens has a populalation of 5 millions, while the population of Greece is 10 millions. So, while Athens has the half population of the country, there are small cities, rural areas and islands that have much less population than the one they could have. There are some islands that could have 10000 people and instead of this they have 200 people. This happens because people are moving from rural areas and small cities to large cities because there they can find better job oppurtunities better services etc. So,there is no need for birth control,if you want to face overcrowding, just give people the motives they need to stay in the place they were born and don't force them to move in a larger city.

As for the original topic, does anybody hear about the water wars?

You give them those motives to stay were they are, the the population of those areas will increase overtime. As more people stay and services and opportunities improve, the population goes up. Hence the same overcrowding problem in the future for major cities and rural areas.

We do seem to have gotten one-sided on this topic. I think we need a shift in a different direction. Overpopulation is a concern, but there are also other issues, like water wars. And, as always, the Indian sub-continental feud. The short story I'm working on has that area as a pivotal point, because not only is land an issue, but also religion. South America is also not vey friendly to the US, so could they do something OPEC-esque? Or maybe more appropriately EU-esque? Will Russia wake up? Or will Chechnya be the example and Russia further dissolve into a bunch of feuding unstable state/country's? Will Africa stabilize, what will happen with the Sahara, will it be irrigated and the desert process be reversed, as it is totally in our power to do so, or will it grow larger in the wake of poor farming techniques by poor farmers and over-grazing by nomadic tribes with animals?

Well, it is thought that, by 2020-2030, China will finally become the world's wealthiest nation. America's economy will have crumbled, leading countrys like Britain, France and Germany to also suffer severe Economic difficulties.

Oh and by the way, I know how to become Billionaire by the year 2030. But I'd be an idiot to tell any of you. But trust me, this plan is 90% sure of working. All i'll say is that it involves moving to China. :)

Erm..... Chow Mein?