I think all of the author's three scenarios are plausible. But caution is warranted with any such list as there's always the risk of overlooking alternative outcomes. These may be novel events, or may be amalgamations of some or all of the outcomes mentioned.
That said, I agree with the author that his Scenario 1 looks to be the most likely trajectory at present. Strengthening his points is the possibility that the US-Zionist empire realizes that it's in a debt-spiral to insolvency that cannot be avoided. The only option is to destroy the financial system that holds that debt. Yes, it's the empire's own system, but that's of no consequence compared to losing it all. Their plan could be to destroy the system, thereby wiping out the creditors and the debt. Then build a new system on digital currency, tokens or whatever. It's totally Machiavellian, and hence a logical thing for a dying empire to do.
Ignoring the fraught present for a moment, I believe Scenario 2 has a considerable chance of happening IF the US goal isn't to go into default by global economic reset.
Scenario 3, the AI future, is very much a wild card. My very non-expert opinion is that AI is a genuine technological advance with great implications for humanity, both on the good side and the bad side. What's in doubt, I believe, is that AI will become conscious and self-aware as we currently understand those cognitive states. It could be that such a development remains forever out of reach, and in which case AI simply remains an incredibly powerful tool deserving great care, but not something that turns on humanity. On the other hand, should AI become self-aware, then it will be the most consequential event in human history since we developed that capacity ourselves. Predictions beyond an inflection point like that become difficult to make. I do agree with the AI experts that a self-aware AI could, rationally, decide that humanity was a threat to its existence. However I see other rational choices the AI could make which favour co-existence with humanity.
All of the scenarios feature turmoil of varying degree and kind. That's the era we find ourselves living in. I don't believe all the possible outcomes are on the spectrum between dystopia and Armageddon. There is the possibility that out of the turmoil a new order will arise. After all, it's not like there's a really high bar to improve on what's there now.
Potential extinction through violence because we refuse to control ourselves. Status quo because we refuse to change. Dystopia because we abdicate our responsibility.
Three positions, all of which are negative. What a shame!
Add a fourth, a positive. Humanity, that is, individual persons, learns what it means to love their neighbors and their enemies, even as Jesus the Christ instructed, and everything changes from an adversarial confrontation to one of peaceful cohabitation, regardless of religion, political, or financial positions.
The three mentioned are dark and destructive to the human soul. The fourth brings light.
Business cannot continue as usual as the fading American empire will try to thrash and attack until it collapses, with its snowballing trillions of debt weighing on its back.
If you don't mind, Karl, I'd like to state this re: AI/robotics. The success of this has more to do with the human pursuit of perfectability and control, (and that also has roots in some Protestant traditions). Just consider all the ramifications of "enhancement." People, parents, want an edge over others. To gain that, they will gladly sell their souls and/or bodies to be better, stronger, smarter. When medicine began introducing digital, animal, and mineral parts to humans to correct defects and disabilities, it was all over. The entire recycling movement, imo, was never about silly things like garbage. It was about PARTS ARE PARTS. (more pred programming there). We are, like all that we can manufacture, interchangeable. That is wrong. My suggestion for those enthusiastic about robots, read the 1920 play by Karel Čapek, "Rossum's Universal Robots (R.U.R.)" Dumb plot, but it will floor you. Honestly, I just pray for the Lord's intervention in all this. Only He can stop any of your scenarios from overwhelming us. Thanks for your article. I'm just an long-winded old lady!
A few things, but great synopsis. To generalize evangelicals as being zionists, is to miss a huge factor in their thinking. They are theologically dispensationalists. That's key. For ~200 years, churchianity has developed this paradigm of eschatology. But that went hand-in-hand with many other things that evolved (devolved) in western society. The 1800s saw it all. Wide-spread print, the rise of advertisements using pictures, PR, photography and phonography, the influence of evolution - the entire scientific mindset becoming a god itself, and the higher criticism amongst theologians which gave rise to myriad Bible translations and interpretations. But the most isidious was the rise of modern entertainment (including sports). That alone ensured that people would crave superheroes, climactic rescues, sensationist romance, and dramatic escape from death and destruction. That is what primed westerners for every aspect of our current nihilistic, wishful-thinking lives. Zionism is just a form of all that. And this insane heresy has infected most other branches of the church, whether they realize it or not. It can engender utopian schemes, SJW efforts, or mere "eat drink for tomorrow we die" attitudes - all of which reassure at the same time that WE WILL BE RESCUED AND TAKEN OUT, before it gets really bad. And we've done our job and WE get to go to heaven. The consequence has been a disaster for Christ's body. These people failed to prepare their children for a life of service to the Church, they have no notion of how to pray for the lost, or, more importantly, for other believers, because there simply is little point. And history, church history, theology, great literature all mean zippo to these people. They merely live in the moment. They are permanently in the flight that Max Picard wrote about.
I think all of the author's three scenarios are plausible. But caution is warranted with any such list as there's always the risk of overlooking alternative outcomes. These may be novel events, or may be amalgamations of some or all of the outcomes mentioned.
That said, I agree with the author that his Scenario 1 looks to be the most likely trajectory at present. Strengthening his points is the possibility that the US-Zionist empire realizes that it's in a debt-spiral to insolvency that cannot be avoided. The only option is to destroy the financial system that holds that debt. Yes, it's the empire's own system, but that's of no consequence compared to losing it all. Their plan could be to destroy the system, thereby wiping out the creditors and the debt. Then build a new system on digital currency, tokens or whatever. It's totally Machiavellian, and hence a logical thing for a dying empire to do.
Ignoring the fraught present for a moment, I believe Scenario 2 has a considerable chance of happening IF the US goal isn't to go into default by global economic reset.
Scenario 3, the AI future, is very much a wild card. My very non-expert opinion is that AI is a genuine technological advance with great implications for humanity, both on the good side and the bad side. What's in doubt, I believe, is that AI will become conscious and self-aware as we currently understand those cognitive states. It could be that such a development remains forever out of reach, and in which case AI simply remains an incredibly powerful tool deserving great care, but not something that turns on humanity. On the other hand, should AI become self-aware, then it will be the most consequential event in human history since we developed that capacity ourselves. Predictions beyond an inflection point like that become difficult to make. I do agree with the AI experts that a self-aware AI could, rationally, decide that humanity was a threat to its existence. However I see other rational choices the AI could make which favour co-existence with humanity.
All of the scenarios feature turmoil of varying degree and kind. That's the era we find ourselves living in. I don't believe all the possible outcomes are on the spectrum between dystopia and Armageddon. There is the possibility that out of the turmoil a new order will arise. After all, it's not like there's a really high bar to improve on what's there now.
Potential extinction through violence because we refuse to control ourselves. Status quo because we refuse to change. Dystopia because we abdicate our responsibility.
Three positions, all of which are negative. What a shame!
Add a fourth, a positive. Humanity, that is, individual persons, learns what it means to love their neighbors and their enemies, even as Jesus the Christ instructed, and everything changes from an adversarial confrontation to one of peaceful cohabitation, regardless of religion, political, or financial positions.
The three mentioned are dark and destructive to the human soul. The fourth brings light.
Thank you for articulating that alternative scenario. We need more of that vision in this trying time of change.
Business cannot continue as usual as the fading American empire will try to thrash and attack until it collapses, with its snowballing trillions of debt weighing on its back.
If you don't mind, Karl, I'd like to state this re: AI/robotics. The success of this has more to do with the human pursuit of perfectability and control, (and that also has roots in some Protestant traditions). Just consider all the ramifications of "enhancement." People, parents, want an edge over others. To gain that, they will gladly sell their souls and/or bodies to be better, stronger, smarter. When medicine began introducing digital, animal, and mineral parts to humans to correct defects and disabilities, it was all over. The entire recycling movement, imo, was never about silly things like garbage. It was about PARTS ARE PARTS. (more pred programming there). We are, like all that we can manufacture, interchangeable. That is wrong. My suggestion for those enthusiastic about robots, read the 1920 play by Karel Čapek, "Rossum's Universal Robots (R.U.R.)" Dumb plot, but it will floor you. Honestly, I just pray for the Lord's intervention in all this. Only He can stop any of your scenarios from overwhelming us. Thanks for your article. I'm just an long-winded old lady!
A few things, but great synopsis. To generalize evangelicals as being zionists, is to miss a huge factor in their thinking. They are theologically dispensationalists. That's key. For ~200 years, churchianity has developed this paradigm of eschatology. But that went hand-in-hand with many other things that evolved (devolved) in western society. The 1800s saw it all. Wide-spread print, the rise of advertisements using pictures, PR, photography and phonography, the influence of evolution - the entire scientific mindset becoming a god itself, and the higher criticism amongst theologians which gave rise to myriad Bible translations and interpretations. But the most isidious was the rise of modern entertainment (including sports). That alone ensured that people would crave superheroes, climactic rescues, sensationist romance, and dramatic escape from death and destruction. That is what primed westerners for every aspect of our current nihilistic, wishful-thinking lives. Zionism is just a form of all that. And this insane heresy has infected most other branches of the church, whether they realize it or not. It can engender utopian schemes, SJW efforts, or mere "eat drink for tomorrow we die" attitudes - all of which reassure at the same time that WE WILL BE RESCUED AND TAKEN OUT, before it gets really bad. And we've done our job and WE get to go to heaven. The consequence has been a disaster for Christ's body. These people failed to prepare their children for a life of service to the Church, they have no notion of how to pray for the lost, or, more importantly, for other believers, because there simply is little point. And history, church history, theology, great literature all mean zippo to these people. They merely live in the moment. They are permanently in the flight that Max Picard wrote about.