Five Health Predictions About Wellness and Salient Features of What America Will Be Like in 2120
INTRODUCTION
Credit for that phrase, Prediction is incredibly difficult, especially in regards to the future, is sometimes allotted to Niels Bohr, occasionally to Robert Storm Petersen and frequently (by Americans) to Mark Twain. In fact, the initial author of that quote remains unknown and that’s just fine. Most predictions coming from a century or higher past were, naturally, not very good. There were few forecasts of moon landings, computers or AI, nuclear weapons or widespread revulsion against Confederate statues and flags. What more, nobody came near to predicting a president like Donald Trump.
Accurate predictions concerning the future really are difficult. The more complex and nuanced, the more unlikely the prophecy will turn out, no less than in plausible form. Predictions do not survive traverse time. A pity, in a way, that Nostradamus become a charlatan understanding that mediums, seers, clairvoyants, soothsayers, oracles and crystal ball readers are as spuriously bogus as prosperity gospel preachers.
OTHER THAN PRAYER, NOTHING FAILS LIKE PREDICTIONS
Could anyone merely a 6 months ago have predicted what our country is now today, what with everyone wearing or arguing over masks, the economy teetering for the brink and well over half the populace work at home or otherwise working in any respect? Furthermore, is not what turmoil, division and uncertainty Americans will be enduring below four years since that tragic night of November, 8, 2016, yet another date that may need to are now living in Infamy? Not likely. Anyone who forecasted the extent to which the U.S. has descended into an acrid, malodorous toilet bowl condition would are already prosecuted for disturbing the peace. No, even if it’s just a pessimist of Hieronymus Bosch’s imaginative powers may have envisioned this kind of dark and ghastly turn into chaos, even in a distant date, not to mention inside a single presidential term.
Nonetheless, the wisest and a lot eloquent males and females, the top among us, must be encouraged to apply their talents and insights to positive sketches of how things could be–and how to get there. These labors would be worthy exercises, only when to console us now and amuse our descendents later on.
What might you conjure, if only being a mental exercise, if invited to provide a prediction for inclusion these days capsule?
At the final of the essay, you will end up invited to offer one or even more predictions for America a hundred years from now. First, however, look at a few prognostications from your speech in 1888. Perhaps this can get you within the mood to test your personal hand in the task. It may seem easy, but only if you don’t mind being wrong.
DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES OF THE PRESS
A truly great American, illustrious and celebrated in his time but unknown by most today, gave a speech in the early days of 1888 by which he ventured a couple of future scenarios. The topic of his predictions was the duties and privileges of the press. You might want to research and study the total toast through the Police Captains’ Dinner. Do so and you will appreciate why he (being named below) can be so acclaimed today through the few who know his work and cherish his memory.
The address commenced using a description of how relations between states used being, when the nations from the world were ignorant and provincial, when populations were separated by walls and barriers of language, of prejudice, of custom, of race in addition to religion, and were met only as enemies.
Important changes happened when movable type was invented, and civilization was thrust into the brain of Europe. Paper and books followed and in the end nations begun to exchange thoughts as opposed to blows. There followed a trade in facts, of theories, of ideas. Newspapers happened and exchanges became plentiful and cheap. Peasants became citizens with the world. In America, the prejudice of locality–or just what the speaker called mud patriotism, abated and also the Nation became unified. The people became American within the best and highest sense. This, he declared, is one with the greatest things being accomplished from the Press in America-namely, the unification of the country-the destruction of provincialism, as well as the creation of a patriotism broad as the territory included in our flag.
In summary, he credited the onset of the same ideas, exactly the same events, the same news, carried to countless homes daily, as a great and splendid object.
And he offered a few predictions. Well, except in three cases, not so much predictions as prescriptions for addressing social troubles extant with the time of his address towards the police captains in New York.
LOOKING AHEAD
One of three predictions was as follows:
We have sixty numerous free people. Look upon the map of our own country… There you will notice a territory just right to give and clothe and educate 400 millions of individuals.
Not to date off of the mark since 2020 (330 million). This population prediction probably would happen to be better if he might have foreseen the truth that twelve additional western states (including Hawaii) would go into the Union in lower than a millennium.
A second prediction was interesting but, rather general:
This country is going to remain together. The Mississippi River is Nature’s protest against secession and against division.
Well, we’re still one–no secessions since Civil War which he, like a Colonel who led troops into several grim battles, knew too well, but we would at the same time be two, due to the great divides on the list of people that now exist. I seriously doubt he’d have expected division between those that favor unity, science, goggles, truth and equal justice and people that support an innovator who promotes division, superstition, freedom to infect others, prejudice, alternative facts and favors for unearned privilege.
His third prediction, also more a prescription, was a demand an International Court of Justice. Such stumbled on pass in 1946 after World War ll. This court is now the key judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).
- We call that nation civilized when its subjects submit their
- differences of opinion, in accordance with the kinds of law,
- to fellow-citizens who are disinterested and who accept the
- decision as final… Each nation defines its rights and its particular
- obligations; and nations are not civilized in respect
- of their relations to each other, until there shall have
- been established a National Court to determine differences
- between nations, towards the judgment that all shall bow.
Finally, in their short speech towards the police chiefs, he expressed hopes for that Press of the future, which it would:
… bend its mighty energies to the unification and also the civilization of mankind; towards the destruction of provincialism, of prejudice-towards the extirpation of ignorance and to the creation of an excellent and splendid patriotism that embraces the human race… the Press should appeal only on the highest and towards the noblest inside the human heart.
What an incredible idea. Alas, while we do have media outlets that strive along creases, there are many (hello Fox News) which do just the opposite of what the speaker expected them to be.
No doubt you understand the speaker who delivered that address at The Police Captains’ Dinner in 1888 was Colonel Bob Ingersoll, the inimitable Great Agnostic of his day.
Health Predictions for the Year 2120
I have five predictions, all optimistic. Even if convinced heaven will fall on July 18, 2138, my 200th birthday, I wouldn’t include that information. These are pros prognostications. What good will come from fostering dread regarding the future, even though we have been doomed?
Swami Donny hereby proceeds record that there will be:
- Nearly all 500 million Americans in our 51 states. Yes, DC will probably be so recognized soon after the election of President Biden as well as an overwhelming Democratic majority both in the U.S. House of Representatives as well as the Senate.
- Widespread recognition in the importance of the vital minimal daily requirement for 23 units of the mental nutrient DBRU equivalents. This advance alone can establish and sustain REAL wellness lifestyles for these excellent that this average lifestyle for guys will rise to 108; women 115.
- No gay Americans. No lesbians, either. Furthermore, no Black people or Hispanics, however, not because America can have become totally homophobic or racist. There won’t be any straight or White people, either. Such distinctions will likely be irrelevant, unnoticed and of nearly no consequence. Americans will likely be intermingled, intertwixed and enlightened, where there is going to be countless sexual preferences (which naturally there has been) that merely a prevert will be in any way inclined to concentrate on such. There will obviously always be primary males and primary females, however, not will make a great deal of fuss about such things.
- Recognized rights for and love shown to all animals. Those of us living today and before us will be considered rather barbaric and uncivilized for having eaten and mistreated animals even as do. However, future Americans is going to be understanding and forgiving that we’re at present, and so a lttle bit compassionate about our benighted if dreadful customs. We just couldn’t know better. Few citizens will experience the abuse and traumas that lead on the common had behaviors of our own day–bullying, raping, plundering and the like. Whole foods, plant-based diets will likely be the norm, though insects will likely be featured on menus, also.
- No Vatican, save like a museum. Religions will likely be from business–customers gone, icons scrapped, dogmas discredited and bankruptcy declared. Credit the advance of science, vastly improved educational systems along with the secular embrace of cosmic meaninglessness of those advances. The latter will are already bolstered by the recognition and appreciation to the fact of this short existence, enabling most citizens to imbue their precious time with joy and satisfying meanings and purposes because of this life, alone we obtain. There is so much more it could be nice to know about the future, but I’m not gonna overplay my predictive talents by going further out about the proverbial limb.
The only thing we could be sure of is that this future lies ahead. Good luck.