Ken Hurley
Well, we know the Mayans didn’t know when our species would die off. But, what about Stephen Hawking? Could he be right? How much time do we have, Doc? In the documentary, The Search for a New Earth (2017), Stephen Hawking predicts that humanity will last until roughly the year 2600, when Earth will become “a gigantic ball of fire.” Can you say, climate change? Greenhouse effect?
. And NASA has confirmed his prediction. Not so much the date, but the manner by which we will meet our end. Although actually, NASA does suggest our inevitable demise could come sooner, especially at the rate we are depleting our energy resources.
NASA and the Billionaire Spacenauts want you to pack your bags, because we’ve got some colonizing to do! There is a “super-Earth,” affectionately known as TOI-715 b, in a nearby habitable solar system just about 137 light-years from Florida. We leave at dawn.
. With apologies to Greta Thunberg, the Swedish environmental activist known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action to mitigate the effects of human-caused climate change — it appears the humans have abandoned reasonable efforts to mitigate climate change. Best we can do now is move out of the way and let Mother Nature do her thing.
. On another note regarding the end is near — America has spoken. We now have a new/old president-elect. The Christian Nationalists, the billionaires, the billionaire wannabes, and the owners of the military-industrial complex have won this election. To quote a previous Republican President who is rarley quoted by Republicans, President Eisenhower, “… we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”
. Now to quote Maureen Dowd from The New York Times (11/6/2024), “In the final analysis, Trump can slide past problems that would be insurmountable for other politicians because he’s Trump — a unique amalgam of con man and showman. … Trump’s narcissism is fueled by the crowds, who love him just the way he is, warts and all, 34 felony convictions and all.” An unprecedented felony sentencing hearing for a president-elect is scheduled in Manhattan on November 26th.
. And, James Brown sings, “It’s a man’s world.”
Maybe the dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) was intended to be a prophecy. You know, the one where the patriarchal, totalitarian, autocratic, Christian belief system enacts a form of government where divine law governs societies and takes control of the United States government. And the “Handmaids” are forcibly assigned to produce children for the ruling class. That novel! Novel? Was Margaret Atwood predicting the future?
. Those who have spent time reading the Constitution, understand we are supposed to have checks and balances in our government. We understand that the SCOTUS is supposed to impartially judge their cases via precedent. However, our reality is that humans are politically, personally, and partisanly biased, even those who are privileged to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Two case examples may be understood by reading the history of Plessy v. Ferguson and Roe v. Wade. Who is elected to the Executive Office gets to decide who they choose to appoint as a Justice in our Supreme Court. That’s powerful. Can we have an honest check and balance, or integrity, within our government if the third branch of our government is stacked with religious fanatics? Easy answer. Nope.
. Then there are the federal and state lawsuits still pending against Trump regarding inciting an overthrow of our peaceful transfer of political power, aka a violent and deadly insurrection. And, state election interference, and so much more! Would you like to read more about the many criminal and civil cases still facing our president-elect, and which ones will be dropped once Trump takes office? Read this synopsis from Syracuse University: Https://news.syr.edu/blog/2024/11/06/what-happens-to-the-pending-criminal-and-civil-cases-against-trump-following-his-election/
. Yet, perhaps, maybe, hopefully, a lot of good things can happen between now and the year 2600. We’ve got a few good centuries for us to speculate about and make positive changes. It depends on us. Always has. It’s still a good day for brunch. It’s still a good day for a bike ride, or maybe a small sip of bourbon on the back porch at sunset. We still hold on to our dreams, hopes, and aspirations. What else should we do? Fight? When we fight we win! Why are we told to fight? I have a favorite quote that is from Fiddler on the Roof, when a villager says, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” and the fiddler replies, “Very good. That way the whole world will be blind and toothless.”
Care to share your thoughts? I’m open for criticism, conjecture, comments, corrections, concerns, and well-wishes sent to kenhurley88@gmail.com
THE END IS NEAR
