Re: Opium [was: Re: freelance sysadmining -- superlong -- [WAS: "Red Hat recommends Windows for consumers"]]
[Top-posting because Don's post is so long.]
While I generally agree with you, a couple of disagreements:
1. It won't be a theocracy.
2. If drop-out rates increased exponentially, they'd "hit" 100%
very soon. Rather, say "ignorance rates are increasing at an
alarming rate".
On Fri, 2003-11-14 at 12:14, donw@examen.com wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 14, 2003 at 11:39:31AM -0600, Ron Johnson wrote:
> >
> > Since the US hasn't ratified the ICJ treaty, it can't happen, unless
> > the Europeans come in (in force) and *take* GWB. (Ha ha ha ha ha.)
>
> First off, my advance apologies for a bit of rambling; I'm quite tired,
> overly caffeinated, and coming off a very long work-week. That being
> said...
>
> To be honest, I doubt the Europeans would have to; they just need to stay
> out of our way as we self-destruct. The U.S. is, sadly, heading along
> the merry path of the Roman empire. I'd wager that in less than a
> century, you will see the birth of a true theocracy within the U.S.,
> with a very well-defined caste system (serfs of the state/wage slaves,
> civil servants, warriors/military personnel, and the ruling/business elite).
> You can already see portions of this framework forming; the masses shop
> at the same stores, purchase the same shoddy goods, listen to the same
> music, and are only very superfically differentiated. Most Americans
> are undereducated, ignorant of most of the world, and indifferent
> towards learning *anything* new. The only things that matter are
> expensive shiny toys and gossip.
>
> Democracy will be preserved, but only for appearance. People can
> vote, but the elections will be rigged, with no paper trails and no
> accountability.
>
> The gap betwen the rich and poor has been growing at an astronomical
> rate, and public education is quickly reaching a point where only those
> lucky and/or smart enough emerge from high school with even the most
> elementary grasp of the arts, sciences, or of the English language; my
> father used to teach a 'computer basics' class to high-school freshmen,
> and many of them were almost completely illiterate. Drop-out rates have
> been increasing exponentially, and with the rising cost of higher
> education, fewer students can afford to attend college. Compounding
> this is the fact that blue-collar work is generally frowned upon by
> Americans, which has resulted in us having a horrible lack of trade and
> technical schools. For those wealthy enough to attend college, many
> will attain near-useless English and Liberal Arts degrees, because they
> lack the impetus, drive, and determination to pursue a more difficult
> degree.
>
> Within a century, I'd say that the U.S. will be a country much like the
> one outlined in 'Higher Education' by Charles Sheffield, with a largely
> illiterate, ignorant, and blissful populace, an incredible overabundance
> of lawsuit-happy lawyers, useless public schools, and a 'fortunate'
> ruling elite who are the keepers of knowledge and power.
>
> It's sad, very sad, but I don't see much that gives me hope things will
> happen any other way. On the upside, those with the brains to move
> themselves up on the socioeconomic ladder will do quite well.
>
> --
> Don Werve <donw AT agentsix DOT net>
>
> Yorn desh born, der ritt de gitt der gue,
> Orn desh, dee born desh, de umn bork! bork! bork!
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ron Johnson, Jr. ron.l.johnson@cox.net
Jefferson, LA USA
"Knowledge should be free for all."
Harcourt Fenton Mudd, Star Trek:TOS, "I, Mudd"
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