Posted on 12/29/2015 7:51:23 AM PST by RicocheT
Two weeks ago Elon Musk told a journalist that humanity had to establish itself on another planet before man-made terrestrial conflicts trapped it. He told GQ:
You know, in 1912 they were proclaiming a new age of peace and prosperity, saying that it was a golden age, war was over. And then you had World War I followed by World War II followed by the Cold War. So I think we need to acknowledge that there's certainly a possibility of a third World War, and if that does occur it could be far worse than anything that's happened before. Let's say nuclear weapons are used. I mean, there could be a very powerful social movement that's anti-technology. There's also growth in religious extremism. Like, I mean, does ISIS grow . .?" Musk's warning though seemingly outlandish, is nevertheless possible. Religious extremism is growing; ISIS is not shrinking, in fact it is only the tip of a far larger iceberg. Tony Blair's think tank, the Institute for Religion and Geopolitics, described it as but one manifestation of a wider movement it calls "Salafi jihadism" -- "a transnational religious-political ideology based on a belief in violent jihad to enforce a return to a perceived Islam of the Prophet Mohammad ’s first followers."
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
It may be.
I used to think that space travel was "just around the corner." I obviously read and saw WAY to many sci-fi movies. I still love'em.
Space travel, at least the way it's portrayed in the movies, is EONS away, several hundred years, at least.
There is too much to do here on Earth yet. A "united Earth" won't ever happen, IMHO, as human nature precludes that. Human nature won't change. (A. Lincoln)
I also wonder, by Elon Musk's plan, WHO is to decide who the "best" is of Earth's people and culture.
I'm just chatting, RicocheT.
The problem isn’t in Elon’s sentiment; it is in the implementation of choosing who exactly are “the best of Earth’s people and culture” for this embarkation to another place?
The problem with this world now is that it is overrun with it’s least and most unproductive. Couple that with politicians and leaders who only seek their support and votes to attain or keep power and you have an impossible situation. If you further want to complicate it, add a about of a third of the world’s population mesmerized by an insane religion and it gets even more bleak.
Something like he dreams cannot happen because it would take the collective effort and wealth of the world to accomplish it - and that is the crux of the problem. Grand efforts for humanity like this can’t succeed because collective humanity as it exists now is too selfish.
Sometimes we can treat cancer with radiation, but other times Cancer just kills the body and we can’t stop it. Islam is much like Cancer, and Sin. Cancer and Islam can be treated with radiation, but much of it is resistant to radiation. Sin is also resistant to radiation. Both Sin and Islam are imbedded in the heart and are contrary to God’s love. Sin and Islam seek to kill and destroy. Those who say there are extreme and moderate muslims only fool themselves. Muhammad was a “moderate” who killed, murdered and stole from others. His next 8 caliphs did even worse, conquering nations and lands, slaughtering, stealing, robbing, raping and burning in the name of the moon god in Mecca. It could be an exit from earth and then to nuke it to destruction may be the only way to stop the Sin of Islam.
The entire effort will be wrecked by forcing diversity
We will find
sooner or later
if Achmed’ll pray
to a glowing crater
A: Because it happens in the future.
Actually the Muslims originated in a different part of the Universe.
They became the Klingons.
So perhaps the Muslims on this planet were a branch of the Klingons that came to colonize Earth in 622 AD.
Mohammed Ali got his inspiration from SOMEWHERE, and the ancestors of Lt. Worf certainly look likely.
(With all deference to those who are making an honest living cooking french fries today, on planet earth, mind you.)
Not the Klingons, the Shadows.
” Because it happens in the future.”
then the future will work itself out then.
Musk is not wrong that humanity needs to diversify its risks - and that being on another planet, which can (hopefully) be made to be self-sustaining is a good start. Frankly, we need to be in multiple star systems, but that day is thousands of years away.
Where I part company with Musk is with his political views, as well as his very clear self interest in spouting them. Those views would carry much more weight if he wouldn’t make a dime from those views becoming a practical reality.
Is it hospitable for human life?
If so, we can escape there.
If not, send the jihadists there.
I get so tired of the "Religious Extremism" meme,
I will plagiarize from and in doing so honor Monty Python:
We don't have Christians caterwauling in the courtyard;
You won't find Buddhists braying bombast;
We don't have Hindus harmonizing in the hallway;
You don't see Shintos shattering sheet glass in the shithouse and shouting slogans.
No ladies and gentlemen, there is only one "religion" that practices in anti-social behavior on a daily basis, so let's stop with the Religious Extremism malarkey and call it what it is, Islamic extremism.
All too true. SOMEBODY has to take out the garbage.
It's all good, decent, honest work. Not so for the drug dealers, pimps, thieves and such.
There were several years that I had to do those kinds of jobs. Our folks didn't have much money so if we wanted something special we had to work for it. We had daily chores to do and also had REGULAR big housework to do twice a week to earn our allowance.
I was delighted that my folks let us keep our allowances for what we wanted.
Other students had to give their parents HALF just because. They then had to put 25% of it to college funds and they got to keep the last 25%.
My parents also insisted that we go to college. I even ended up with an M.A. degree. I was just darn lucky.
After establishing a presence on, say, Mars for a few years or decades, some sodbuster will fly in with an incurable disease, like cholera or the common cold, and wipe out the Martians. Sounds eerily familiar.
It’s much easier to move to and live in Antarctica than Mars or the Moon. But how many have even gone to Antarctica? Fool’s dream.
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