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In reply to the discussion: The Pale Blue Dot [View all]

Moostache

(9,920 posts)
20. Thank you for posting this...
Mon Jun 9, 2014, 01:56 AM
Jun 2014

We, humanity, all of us, are doomed if we do not take the reigns of power by any means necessary to steer us off the current path we ride. This is not a political call to action or courage....its an imperative to the future of the homo sapiens species, and for the millions of other species on this Earth unfortunate enough to share this epoch with the most efficient killing machine ever evolved.

This is not about right or left, conservative or liberal, republican or democrat - it is about survival, and quite possibly a survival issue for many people already born, to say nothing of the millions to come who will enter a fight for survival unlike anything humanity has seen in at least 500 years or maybe even 1,000 or more.

The climate is damaged beyond repair already. 400+ ppm of atmospheric CO2 is not a "myth", its also no joke or laughing matter, nor are its long term consequences.

The practice of medicine is on the verge of a 200 year backward step in the next decade if new antibiotics cannot be developed and more control over their use implemented. No more surgeries without 50% or greater dying from post-operation infections. No more hip replacement, knee surgery, root canals, organ transplants, by-pass surgeries or recovery from an innocuous scratch on the play ground. No more recovering from bronchitis or pneumonia. No more easily controlled ear infections or relief to children with pink eye.

We are losing antibiotic effectiveness at an alarming rate. Do you know what a KPC is? You should educate yourself about it if you do not...it stands from Klebsiella Pneumoniae Carbapenamase and its a far bigger deal than a 1,000,000 Benghazis or Bergdahls, and yet 95% of all Americans have got no idea at all what it is, what it does or what it means to their future well-being or potential medical options.... We have been shown directly how evolution and nature out power our puny ingenuity and providential luck by orders of magnitude as lowly single celled life is kicking our collective ass through resistance and evolved defense against the best therapies we can devise. We are not only losing this game everyone, if it were a sporting event like boxing, they'd stop the fight....if it were little league baseball, the 10-run rule would be called...if it were Little Bighorn, we are Custer.

The carrying capacity of the planet has been raced by with scarcely a thought to how we can possibly feed the surplus BILLIONS of lives. The mere fact that so few even realize what the Haber Process is or how it has allowed so many people to eat and live on a planet not equipped to handle their voracious appetites and consumption is utterly jarring. We wallow in collective idiocy and wonder why things are so bad...we suffer fools and whores on the "Science" committees in congress and wonder why nothing seems to change....we decry the evils of money in politics and yet, someone, somewhere has to be affected by the mindless political button pushing ads and slogans in order for them to still bother with the Kabuki theater of elections in the first place.

The predominant economic system of the planet is strangling the majority of the population - and directly leading to all of these other nasty consequences...and yet, we silently watch it happen and pretend its a car wreck and nothing more than a momentary diversion until we go back into our new reality - that 18 inches between your smart phone and your eyes.

I hate modern humanity in all its abuses and inertia. We are a disgusting shell of morality (a cruel joke wrapped in flags, carrying crosses and spouting off platitudes and pap instead of examining what we REALLY stand for by action, not word); and a disgrace to our own wasted potential. If there were actually a god to blame for any of this, it might provide some momentary comfort, some kind of scapegoat to excise our own shortcomings and failure to meet even the lowest of expectations for stewards of the planet; but alas, there is not, and the real blame lies within each and every one of us - we were given the chance to be true gods in history and instead we got I-pads, cable TV and a soon to be censored internet.

Truth be told, the planet is going to shake us off (like a bad case of the fleas...thanks to George Carlin for that wonderfully apt analogy) and evolution will continue on, start over, try again. Maybe a million years from now, after all the damage from humanity has abated; and after the unfortunate species that share this time frame with us have been long gone and fossilized - maybe life will again evolve conscious thought and reason; maybe there will be enough cautionary evidence to survive us that they will learn the lessons we have not, maybe our doom will lead to their success and victory.

To the future, to those whose hate and loathing we all so richly deserve, I am sorry. I am sorry that we were such unconscionable shits, that we were so self-absorbed and small minded that we could not change the inevitable conclusion to the societal wreck we created. I am sorry for what we have done to you and the hellish nightmare world we bequeathed to you. But hey, Kendall Jenner might be flashing side boob on some 5th rate award show that doubles as a celebrity gawk-fest, so I have to run...the DVR on my phone might miss it otherwise.

The Pale Blue Dot [View all] Hissyspit Jun 2014 OP
Cosmos was great tonight. The best one. AlinPA Jun 2014 #1
I especially loved the last five minutes or so of it. GoCubsGo Jun 2014 #2
Great show tonight. hobbit709 Jun 2014 #3
Wasn't that a beautiful homage to Carl Sagan? sufrommich Jun 2014 #4
I guess because he's more modern, I prefer NDT, tavalon Jun 2014 #7
Damn! Now I am going to have to buy the DVDs. longship Jun 2014 #5
Sagan was a scientist and, I think, something of a poet. dgauss Jun 2014 #6
I doubt it will happen in my lifetime, but I do hope, tavalon Jun 2014 #8
I think one of the things Sagan tried so hard to convey, and what Tyson has continued dgauss Jun 2014 #11
Tyson, like Sagan, can translate his immense intelligence in a way we non-scientists can understand Skittles Jun 2014 #18
I hate to see this series end. mountain grammy Jun 2014 #9
so if our planet were bigger wars would be ok? MisterP Jun 2014 #10
That was amazing AnnieBW Jun 2014 #12
Tonight's video Gore1FL Jun 2014 #13
What a perfect way to end the series... MrMickeysMom Jun 2014 #14
I think donating a copy to the library is a great idea. Efilroft Sul Jun 2014 #15
Thank you Hissyspit for pulling this wonderful moment defacto7 Jun 2014 #16
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Jun 2014 #17
Absolutely wonderful end to the series. The DVDs are a must-have. nt Hekate Jun 2014 #19
Thank you for posting this... Moostache Jun 2014 #20
Morning Kick nt Hissyspit Jun 2014 #21
Thanks for posting this! PunkinPi Jun 2014 #22
KICKING THIS!!! calimary Jun 2014 #23
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