How history will view us...

[Hax]

We have learned how not to exploit, how not to impose, how to respect our surroundings, these are the greatest times men ever saw imho this is the true golden age.

Man, you're serious?

[Rhyfelwyr]

History won't be able to view us, since we will all be killed by global warming.

[Hax]

Let's not get too cheerful, eh Rhyf?

[Rhyfelwyr]

To give a more serious answer, I think that we will not be one of the big era's in history that everyone studies as a turning point, or major development in human history.

The periods that everyone remembers are those of consolidation, when all the developments of the times leading up to that period eventually come to the surface, having previously laid low while they gained momentum.

For example, everyone remembers the First World War, because that is when the balance of power collapsed, having been strained by the collapse of colonialism and rising nationalism. Nobody talks much about the 50 or so years beforehand, when these issues were bubbling under the surface. They were a period of development, WWI saw the consolidation of those trends into a dramatic event.

Today, there is a lot of social change going on. Conservative values are dying, nationalism is on the decline, religious values are fading away, increasing economic interdependence is bringing the world together, at least the developed parts. We won't go down in history because nothing dramatic has happened, these are all events bubbling under the surface. What will be noted is when in x years time, we will truly indentify ourselves as 'citizens of the world', and there will be a new age of tolerance in a more politically, economically, and culturally united world. This won't be achieved through some uber world government, but by 'complex interdependence', as various non-state actors bring nations together and make the old state boundaries nearly meaningless. History will judge that period, probably favourably.

Of course, that's presuming the current trends are able to continue and reach prominence, I expect the rapture will happen before then (sorry but it had to be said).

[Fragony]

Man, you're serious?

Absolutely. I think this is humanity's greatest time, and I doubt we will ever surpass it. If 'we' had the means to we have now 100 years ago, other people would be so very very screwed, we have turned into concious society's. This is the pax america, and we will miss it.

Thanks Frag. You've given me a good laugh on a friday evening

100 years ago your senate recieved a letter that was written with water from the Thames, now it's safe for a swim. A soldier in Iraq is prosecuted for rape. There are overarching human rights organisations, if this isn't our greatest time, I would like to know when was. We are doing absolutely great.

[PBI]

We are living in an unprecedented technological golden age. For example, I consider myself immensely fortunate to have been born into one of the few periods of history to date in which contracting appendicitis at age 11 is considered a minor illness as opposed to a death sentence.

I certainly hope it is not the peak of our civilization, but I too would be interested to hear what earlier period could be described as a better time to be alive than this one.