Standoffs and terror.. hate and greed. The world seems surrounded in a shroud of darkness. I so often try to stay positive, look at the brighter side of life and see the forest from the trees.. but the forest these days seems extra dim and those once tall standing trees appear to have a slight bend to them, like they have slouched down in a form of eternal earthly sadness of the crimes against humanity humans so often commit..
While these may be the best and times and the worst of times, one thing is apparent in my somewhat academic mind: We are divided and hateful. Maybe not more than times gone by, but certainly the strains of modern society are showing..
Muslims vs Christian.. Black vs white.. gay vs straight. Republicans vs Democrats.. All the groups we are put into by corporate giants who claim to give us the news on a daily basis.. And all too often, we happily place ourselves into those categories and categorically ignore the prejudices and divisions that group assimilation can often create..
There's moments, such as these week, when terrorism and murder rear their heads.. Ugly heads indeed. The school shooting in Pakistan is a recent example as well.. In 2015, the world has changed after terrorist gunmen opened fire on innocent cartoonists who expressed their freedom of speech.
And now come the new years fears.. the warnings of more terror, the descending array of hate and horror that comes with funerals and tributes.. There are few rays of goodness shining from today's host of headlines..
And that is precisely why it's time to gear up, get ready, and create a future off this planet..
To begin an argument to leave earth, let me first explain a bit of the premise behind why I say it to begin with. The planet earth is in some trouble. . all experts in various disciplines can tell you that water shortages, food wars, and climate change will impact humanity some time soon--and some time now. And even on these issues, we have become divided. We argue whether humans cause climate change, but ignore the fact that it really does not matter anymore.. Even if 'global warming' is a fraud, global cooling may not be. Tour through history.. we are living in a perfectly tranquil time on this planet in comparison to other ages. Tranquil times have occurred before, too.. and they do not last forever. Sudden earth changes can take place without warning with volcanic activity or even Yellowstone eruptions. The New Madrid fault can shake.. Japan can quake--lest we forget the big 2011 earthquake and tsunami were said to have actually made earth wobble. Isn't it interesting that this summer we have to add a second of time onto our clocks. Perhaps the earth did in fact slow down due to major Chile and Japan rumbles.
However doomish and gloomish this may all seem, it's not really. Actually it's just purely the cyclic nature of the planet. It is how the earth was formed and reformed again. And it will happen again. The planet is old.. lots of history took place that we will never know. Quite frankly, there's always that chance that our current 2000 years of modern history will be buried under the weight of earth changes again.
So the race to space must take place. We need to leave this planet, or at least begin the venture into the wild oxygen-less black yonder. New explorations must take place, and a no holds barred approach to the space plan must also happen on the federal level. President Barack Obama has been busy cutting the space program since he took office. Recently, he began the quest to provide free college education on a community level to Americans. That will cost billions. However, it only solidifies we stay on this planet..
Right now, the goal should be to colonize others.. reach out for the stars and take gambles..
And those gambles could also have another purpose..
As mentioned early on in this post, old habits are not dying. Instead we are still fighting the same wars, the same battles.. creating the same hate. It seems like there's no global purpose anymore.. nothing which unites the entire planet. Ronald Reagan famously quipped that an alien threat would do just that, but why be negative. Why not an alien quest.. why not a global goal for all nations to equally have the opportunity to travel beyond our galaxy?
A race to the stars would give hope to a new generation.. every child looks to space at some point, and every kid gets into talks with their friends about alien life and UFOs. Adults do, too.. although they are more careful about it since they try to maintain 'maturity,' and any hint they privately wear a tin foil hate would embarrass their vain existence.
A race to the stars would also create jobs. We so often see robots taking over manufacturing, construction, and even service.. 3D printing is going to change the way we build houses, buy cars, and get surgeries.. so often, we are creating a future in which we will be served by technology--but technology will also destroy the social fabric with each job it robs. A race to space could actually rebuild the economy and create a new revolution.. instead of an Industrial change, this would be a Space Revolution. I can envision a future in which scientists would actively create new forms of travel between here and other planets, and even interior decorators would have a vast new world of rocket ships to decorate.
That may sound flippant, but it should not.
I am entirely serious..
We can collectively decide to leave the robots to tend to the planet earth, and humans can begin the real adventure of leaving this planet and moving to space..
We can kill hate with a quick future shock.
China, the United States, and Russia can join together and herald in a new age..
I am not naive, though. The United States' defense budget, CIA and Defense Department contractors would never allow such an honest zeal to provide a better future to humanity.. Instead, I fear a space race would equal star wars, with nations pursuing planets and attempting to cripple others.
But that is the gamble.
And instead of fearing such a gamble, why should we not take it?
Take one glance around at this planet.
It's time to branch out and fulfill the manifest destiny we all have: To return home to the stars where we came from.
