- Agricultural Revolution
- Industrial Revolution
- Information Revolution
(possibly others)
Poking around in the history of human society, albeit superficially, it appears that the advent of each new "phase" of technology brings widespread (not necessarily simultaneous) upheavals in the makeup of civilization. Few civilizations (if any) have survived such a revolution without a fundamental transformation in class structure and/or governmental character. Each phase has far-reaching event waves that are not immediately recognized as being directly related to the technological revolution, but in hindsight are viewed as practically unavoidable consequences of a basic shift toward new social and cultural priorities.
It appears that the Industrial Revolution caused the American Civil War, the dismemberment of the British Empire, and at least one World War. Changes in the balance of trade due to changes in which goods are in highest demand lead to national and international instability, and eventually to war. Changes in a nation's (or an empire's) mechanisms for producing and consuming these goods, which form the basis of the class structure, lead to the dissolution of old loyalties and alliances. This in turn can call into question a nation's reasons for remaining a unified society at all.
I believe that the global society is in the midst of an Information Revolution, which will prove to be at least as significant as the Industrial Revolution, and maybe even as historically important as the Agricultural Revolution. We already see the beginning of a realignment in social priorities in those nations most directly effected by the digital world. And, because of the groundwork laid by the Industrial Revolution and its technological children, the Information Revolution promises to take root far more quickly than any previous technological revolution -- it even comes at a time when the Industrial Revolution has yet to fully grasp the entire planet.
The implications of this are that some of the stress we see forming cracks in societies throughout the planet may not simply be a continuation of humanity's penchant for fucking itself. It may be that we are heading into another technological revolution, but this time with the foresight to realize what is happening being far more widespread than in previous such revolutions. And with the already accelerated pace of this one, it could be that we may see very fundamental changes taking place in governments and economies not only within our lifetimes but within the fairly immediate future. At this point I would not be totally surprised to see the complete collapse or overthrow of one or more major Western governments in the next thirty years.
The coming Weird Times may not be something TGRR just pulled out of his ass, after all.
- Industrial Revolution
- Information Revolution
(possibly others)
Poking around in the history of human society, albeit superficially, it appears that the advent of each new "phase" of technology brings widespread (not necessarily simultaneous) upheavals in the makeup of civilization. Few civilizations (if any) have survived such a revolution without a fundamental transformation in class structure and/or governmental character. Each phase has far-reaching event waves that are not immediately recognized as being directly related to the technological revolution, but in hindsight are viewed as practically unavoidable consequences of a basic shift toward new social and cultural priorities.
It appears that the Industrial Revolution caused the American Civil War, the dismemberment of the British Empire, and at least one World War. Changes in the balance of trade due to changes in which goods are in highest demand lead to national and international instability, and eventually to war. Changes in a nation's (or an empire's) mechanisms for producing and consuming these goods, which form the basis of the class structure, lead to the dissolution of old loyalties and alliances. This in turn can call into question a nation's reasons for remaining a unified society at all.
I believe that the global society is in the midst of an Information Revolution, which will prove to be at least as significant as the Industrial Revolution, and maybe even as historically important as the Agricultural Revolution. We already see the beginning of a realignment in social priorities in those nations most directly effected by the digital world. And, because of the groundwork laid by the Industrial Revolution and its technological children, the Information Revolution promises to take root far more quickly than any previous technological revolution -- it even comes at a time when the Industrial Revolution has yet to fully grasp the entire planet.
The implications of this are that some of the stress we see forming cracks in societies throughout the planet may not simply be a continuation of humanity's penchant for fucking itself. It may be that we are heading into another technological revolution, but this time with the foresight to realize what is happening being far more widespread than in previous such revolutions. And with the already accelerated pace of this one, it could be that we may see very fundamental changes taking place in governments and economies not only within our lifetimes but within the fairly immediate future. At this point I would not be totally surprised to see the complete collapse or overthrow of one or more major Western governments in the next thirty years.
The coming Weird Times may not be something TGRR just pulled out of his ass, after all.