The End of Polarization?

Wars of unreason continue with increasing lethality, and some, led by Senator McCain suggest further escalation. And to what is this folly ascribed? Ideologies that require faith, faiths which are scientifically unproven – i.e., absent hypothesis, experiment, and documented reproducible outcome - yet, are maintained by over four of the six billion humans on Earth.

The odds don't look too good if you're betting on this group of people to quickly solve the present challenges posed by the increasing needs for that which grows more scarce: cheap energy, fresh water, sufficient food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. We must also control solid, liquid and gaseous wastes. Lastly, we must anticipate earthquakes, floods, doughts, winds and long-term cycles of pandemics and financial panics.

Most will want to base their actions (or defer to) one or some of the following:

1. The Government and Law (Democracy, Republic, Sharia, Socialist, Communist, etc.)

2. The Market (Free, Fair, Planned or Controlled)

3. Some God (Jesus, Allah, Mohammed, Moses, Messiah, etc.)

With these actors, and the known headwinds, the prospect of a Fibonacci die-off in the course of this seculum may eliminate between .382 or .618 of the globe's folks. Why? Because if we've learned anything from studying history, one thing is certain... we haven't learned much from studying history.

Please, give me causes for optimism besides the bromide that, "Tommorrow's hand holds the remedy for today's ills."