We don’t value the future because the world is dominated by an economic system based on creating ever increasing profits irrespective of the human, social and environmental damage that is caused. As the four horsemen of the post-modern apocalypse – increasing population growth, finite resources, increasing greenhouse emissions and an economic system based on creating ever increasing profits irrespective of the costs involved – move from a canter to a gallop, the future looks much bleaker than it needs to be.
The issue isn’t whether scientific innovations can dig us out of the hole we’ve dug for ourselves, the issue is whether these scientific innovations will ever be implemented because their implementation would cause a great deal of financial pain for that small section of society that owns the means of production, distribution, exchange and communication.
The deregulation, privatisation, globalisation, corporatisation revolution that has swept the world during the past forty years has weakened the ability of sovereign states to put the interests of the people they serve before the interests of powerful unaccountable corporations who don’t even contribute to the welfare of the communities they do business in.
If we continue to ignore the future, because we’re addicted to exploiting the present for short term financial gain, the problems we will have to deal with in the near future will be much more difficult than they should be.
The human race has the collective ability to stop the four horsemen of the post-modern apocalypse in their tracks. Unfortunately we do not have the institutional or political framework in place that put the interest of the many before the interests of the few. Parliamentary democracies around the world face increasing challenges as that small section of society that owns the means of production, distribution, exchange and communication has usurped the power of Parliament.
When parliamentary representatives are unwilling or unable to put the interests of the many before the few, the future of parliamentary democracy becomes the issue of the day. Currently we are at a tipping point, representative democracy does not work, parliament has become little more than a corporate rubber stamp. Historically people turn to “strong leaders”, instead of to themselves, to address the problems they face when institutional structures fail them. Rule of the people by the people for the people is based on direct democratic principles and delegation. It is not based on representation. Unless our current parliamentary institutions are radically reformed, it’s highly likely authoritarian rulers will be holding all the aces in the very near future.