I can't tell you how many times I have looked at the budget for the US and wanted to throw up and send it in a bag to Congress. Currently the US spends under $5 billion on energy research yet we dump over $80 billion into the defense department. Now I'm not saying that we should stop defense spending, however there is an obvious problem here. Bill Gates and friends have created a group that is lobbying to triple the governments spending on energy technology but I think we can do better.
The US is responsible for the proliferation of nuclear technology and we fuel the hatred and warring nature of other countries by constantly boosting and flaunting our defense and weapons systems. Its like a god damn dick showing contest with these generals, whoever has the most destructive weapons, the fastest jets, the largest troop size is obviously doing a great thing for the US and society at large.
Seriously what the fuck is that?! Stop developings things to kill people, lets just protect ourselves then we will project a positive attitude and take the higher road. I believe that we don't have to fight fire with fire, instead we should do what the firefighters do and battle the flames of terrorism with the cooling waters of peace and progress. I envision a world where energy and food is free and diseminated across the globe; a world where instead of splitting atoms to conquer lands we split atoms to fuel the energy grid; a world where the air is fresh no matter where you are and nature flourishes with our advances.
Technology is a powerful tool and in the wrong hands it can do horrible things. I beleive that as a whole our species is good and that if we band together and fight the evil doers by making good technology that some day things wont be about weapons and soldiers. Some day we will look back at these times as dark ages where man fell prey to greed; then there was a turning point and human kind lifted itself up and proved to themselves that when we decide to do something we can accomplish any task.
I hope that if you are reading this that you share my thoughts and on a certain level agree with my scope for the future. This world will be a better place, but it won't just happen. So if you read this and you care, start helping NOW! Its really simple, just talk to your friends and family, get people thinking about what it means to be human and how we fit into our delicate planet. When the time comes you must be ready to act without fear and without hesitation because opposition will come but always remember: The light shines in the darkness...
Solid post Geoff! However, as I do idealistically agree strongly with what you are saying, I feel the tasks at hand are more ambiguous in our current world than can be divided into polar categories: i.e. people that are good and evil.The world as I have witnessed it is not black and white but grey. Or to put it even more metaphorically visual the world is not black and white, but in color. I think most people believe they are good and what they are doing and believing is right, but the issue's at hand are that of educating a public that believes it already knows best. Unfortunately we are that public, so it is ourselves we are fighting. First we must agree we do not know all and that we can be wrong. Second,if we can educate the public honestly and without motives for profit, mid-term election results,fear or the illusion of control to eradicate ignorance and indifference then we may have a shot at the idealism you have laid out and that most of our generation, though advised against,still refuses to relinquish.
ReplyDeleteOn Gates' support, in our current system the government is the most versatile player in energy investment because they possess all of the regulatory power that is necessary to protect the public from intended or unintended market failures and social costs. So as a proponent of progress it makes sense for gates to get in bed with the organization with the power to bring these advancements to the front-line exponentially faster than any other.So i can see where he's coming from with this.
Bring home our abroad empire, invest in our own infrastructure, and lead us into the next generations of technology... these are the goals i want for my government...
great blog man!!!
-herweck