Predators demise

The powerful elite have throughout history used their leverage to ensure the masses support their lavish life style by reaping what nature provides while just managing to cope themselves. These elite have been and continue to be predators by deriving most of their fellows of sustenance while fostering the ravishing of the life support system. Industrialization has speeded up that process and the associated irreversible ravishing of the environment. The elite claim that the increase in intangible (monetary) wealth will trickle down to the masses has occurred to a very limited extent. The rapid decrease in tangible natural wealth is taken into account by only those few who have an understanding of the unsustainable reality of the ecological cost of constructing, operating and maintaining the infrastructure of civilization during its limited life time.

Natural wealth, including the stock of oil, is declining rapidly now. Industry is pulling out all stops in a valiant attempt to offset this influence of natural forces by harnessing other ones, regardless of the ecological cost. The elite, with the aid of the duped minions will continue to foster their predatorial activities only so long as they can away with the raping of the eco system. The growing positive feedback, including climate change, with ensure this unsustainable process will not continue beyond this century, which will be called the Devastation Century by the surviving Homo sapiens.  

The Challenge of the Senescence Century

The 20th Century saw the growth of the global economy, led by the US, at the expense of divestment of natural material wealth, particularly oil. The 21st Century began with the explosion of debt as the money virus infected the economies of many developed countries. Developing countries are doing their best to emulate this perceived progress. This unsustainable process is coming to an end. So is the high material standard of living of the middle classes.

Economic growth, without taking into account ecological costs, has been fostered by governments and business to grow their wealth, regardless of the impact on the masses or the environment. But nature will inevitably fight back. Irreversible rapid climate change is one unintended consequence of the ravishing of its life support system by civilization. Other will follow as civilization enters its senescence.

Society will slowly wake up to what has gone wrong. The smart ones will rise to the challenge of instilling measures that will ease the inevitable powering down by ensuring the provision of the essentials, food, water, shelter, sanitation, education, health care and security. At the same time, efforts will be made to retain the worthwhile features of current society in the arts, science and knowledge fields. This will entail relearning some of the fundamental skills, including farming, to enhance community living.